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1. At the 81st meeting of the Cabinet Defence Committee 12
December 1951 the Committee approved PJBD Recommendation 51/5
regarding movement of Service aircraft across the Canada-United
States border and a document based on this recommendation setting
out the detailed methods of clearing flights of Service aircraft
across the border. 66 This document, which was subsequently
included in the PJBD Journal of March 1952, is attached as
Appendix "A" to this paper. PJBD Recommendation 51/5 was given
statutory effect by PC 2307 dated 17 April 1952.
2. The USAF has found that two provisions in the procedure
(Appendix "A") for clearing their training flights over Canadian
territory are causing difficulty. The first, sub para (j),
requires that no bombs be carried in aircraft conducting camera
bombing and radar scope photography over Canadian cities. This
restriction limits the value of the Radar Bomb Scoring Unit at
St. Hubert, P.Q., which consists of a small radar over which
Strategic Air Command aircraft carry out simulated bombing
missions. This unit, along with approximately fifteen others of a
similar nature located at various points in the USA, makes an
important contribution towards maintaining the high standard of
efficiency required of Strategic Air Command.
3. The aircraft are actually over the site only a few minutes
since this is only one of several exercises during a training
mission which might require the same aircraft to be airborne for
20 hours and travel several thousand miles, the flight often
extending over several different countries. Because of the
restriction in sub para (j) the US aircraft scheduled to use the
St. Hubert site must always drop their bombs at an approved
bombing range first. If the weather conditions are such that the
bombs cannot be dropped, the aircraft has no other choice but to
land and unload its bombs before using the St. Hubert site. These
conditions obtain on about three out of four Strategic Air
Command missions. Thus the aircraft have to descend from high
altitudes to unload their bombs and then return to operational
altitude, with the result that the use of the St. Hubert site
becomes an expensive and at such times, an inefficient operation.
4. The active use of the Radar Bomb Scoring Site at St. Hubert
by the U.S. Strategic Air Command is of inestimatable value to
the RCAF in that it provides increased bomber aircraft training
activity over the main Canadian air defence area. This enables
the entire air defence system in the area to be exercised under
realistic conditions in that it provides practice interceptions
for RCAF Fighter Squadrons and the ground controlling
organization. Also, as the RCAF has no bomber force, the
affiliation of these aircraft with the RCAF provides one means of
keeping in touch with modern bomber techniques.
5. The second restriction, contained in sub para (k) of Appendix
"A", prevents USAF aircraft from carrying, over Canada,
photoflash bombs which are required for photographic
reconnaissance training over isolated, uninhabited areas. Thus
the USAF aircraft on long range training flights, during which
these bombs are required, must circumnavigate Canadian territory.
Since the aircraft are therefore often prevented from flying the
most direct route to their destinations this provision has also
proven uneconomical and inefficient. These photoflash bombs will
not be dropped by the USAF over Canada.
6. Specialist officers of the RCAF have examined the safety
procedures followed by the USAF and are satisfied that they
provide adequate safeguard against possible accidents.
Accordingly, the RCAF and USAF have prepared jointly a document
to replace the one attached as Appendix "A" to this paper. This
revision of methods of clearing training flights of USAF
Strategic Air Command over Canadian territory, in addition to
meeting the points referred to above, also contains a number of
minor amendments which, without changing the substance, improve
the form of the document.
7. The new document was discussed and approved at the July 1954
meeting of the PJBD. A copy of the new document is attached as
Appendix "B" to this paper. 67
[PIÈCE JOINTE 1/ENCLOSURE 1]
Appendice "A"
Appendix "A"
Secret
MOVEMENT OF AIRCRAFT ACROSS THE BORDER
PART I
METHODS OF CLEARING FLIGHTS OF U.S. SERVICE AIRCRAFT
OVER CANADIAN TERRITORY
Note: Service to Service - Either of the Services may make
arrangements with the interested service of the other country.
|
| TYPE OF FLIGHT |
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION AND CLEARING AUTHORITY |
|
| 1.
Strategic Air Command Training Flights. |
Service to Service - Cleared annually in advance by
the Chief of the Air Staff with the following restrictions on
flights:
(a) Comprehensive Visual Photographic Flight Logs and
Radar Scope Logs be completed for all photos taken over Canada and
supplied to the RCAF in 5 copies.
(b) The RCAF be supplied (upon
request) with any photographs listed in the logs;
(c) The RCAF
receive one print of all photographs of Canadian territory taken north of
sixty degrees North;
(d) When photography is obtained over
established radar bomb scoring sites, paras (a) and (b) will be complied
with for the initial flights only. Comprehensive logs of photography
obtained on subsequent missions will be provided to the RCAF when coverage
not included on the initial flights is obtained;
(e) When
photography is obtained by aircraft in formation or by individual aircraft
following the same flight path, the film strip of the best quality will be
selected for processing in accordance with paras (a) and (b) above.
(f) All photographs taken over Canada will be given a high
security classification and none will be distributed without prior
reference to the RCAF HQs.
(g) While performing camera bombing
and radar scope photography over Canadian cities, aircraft will fly at a
high altitude and no more than one aircraft should fly over a Canadian
city at a time.
(h) The number of planes participating in any
single flight over Canadian territory should not exceed 25.
(i)
RCAF will be provided a flight plan of missions at least 24 hours prior to
take-off. (Action copy to RCAF Air Defence Command; information copy to
HQs RCAF).
(j) No bombs will be carried in the aircraft
conducting camera bombing and radar scope photography over Canadian
cities.
(k) No bombs filled with other than inert material will
be carried. |
| 2. Air Defence Exercises. |
Service to Service - Cleared by Air Officer
Commanding, Air Defence Command (subject to certain qualifications imposed
upon him by the Chief of the Air Staff such as restrictions on mock bomber
attacks similar to those imposed upon Strategic Air Command Training
Flights, as appropriate). |
3. Scientific and
Experimental Flights:
(a) involving only Canadian Dept. of National
Defence.
(b) involving other Canadian Govt. Depts. |
(a) Service to Service. Pre-arrangement
(b) State Dept-External Affairs. Pre-arrangement. |
| 4. Normal Transport, or administrative flights. |
Flight plans filed with Canadian Dept. Transport
through Civil Aeronautics Administration. Normal customs and immigration
regulations only. In the case of VIP flights, appropriate advance
notification will usually be made through service to service or diplomatic
channels. |
| 5. Weather Stations Re-Supply of Arctic. |
Service to Service-by pre-arrangement. |
| 6. Operational units in Transit. |
Flight plans filed with Dept. of Transport through
Civil Aeronautics Administration under normal airways procedures. If
conventional weapons are carried, the following safety precautions will
apply:
(a) guns to be rendered safe by such protective devices as inserted
a breech T/Piece or 4 dummy rounds;
(b) bombs, if carried, to be in an
unfused condition with fuses removed. |
| 7. Combined Exercise other than Air Defence Exercises. |
State Dept-External Affairs pre-arrangements. |
| 8. Search and Rescue. |
Arrangement in force as a result of ICAO Agreement.
Customs and immigration covered by Canada-U.S. Search and Rescue Bilateral
Customs and Immigration Agreement of Jan 1949. |
| 9. U.S. Interception Flights in Canada. |
Service to Service. Chief of the Air Staff.
Pre-arrangement. |
| 10. Any type not specifically mentioned above. |
State Dept-External Affairs. |
[PIÈCE JOINTE 2/ENCLOSURE 2]
Appendice "B"
Appendix "B"
Secret
MOVEMENT OF AIRCRAFT ACROSS THE BORDER
PART I
METHODS OF CLEARING FLIGHTS OF U.S. SERVICE AIRCRAFT
OVER CANADIAN TERRITORY
Note: Service to Service - Either of the Services may make
arrangements with the interested service of the other country. |
TYPE OF FLIGHT
|
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION AND CLEARING AUTHORITY
|
| 1. Strategic Air Command Training Flights. |
Service to Service - Cleared annually in advance by the Chief of
the Air Staff with the following restrictions on flights:
(a) RCAF
will be provided a flight plan of missions at least 24 hours prior to
aircraft penetrating Canadian Territory (Action copy to RCAF Air Defence
Command; information copy to HQ's RCAF).
(b) Instrument flight rule
flight plans will be filed on all flights into or over Canadian Territory.
(c) The number of aircraft participating in any single flight over
Canadian Territory should not exceed 25.
(d) While performing camera
bombing and radar scope photography over Canadian cities, aircraft will
fly over at a high altitude and no more than one aircraft should fly over
a Canadian city at one time.
(e) No bombs other than practice or bombs
filled with inert material will be carried in aircraft carrying out radar
bombing on radar bomb scoring units in Canada. When such bombs are
carried, all prescribed safety precautions are to be taken.
(f) Photo
flash "bombs" may be carried as required for the completion of
photographic reconnaissance missions. When carried, prescribed safety
precautions must be followed, including those covering the emergency
dropping of these items.
(g) When other types of armaments are carried
normal safety precautions as practised in the US will apply.
(h)
Comprehensive Visual Photographic Flight Logs and Radar Scope Logs be
completed for all photos taken over Canada and supplied to the RCAF in 5
copies.
(i) The RCAF be supplied (upon request) with any photographs
listed in the logs.
(j) The RCAF will receive one print of all
photographs of Canadian territory taken north of sixty degrees north.
(k) When photography is obtained over established radar bomb scoring
sites, (i) and (j) will be complied with for the initial flights only.
Comprehensive logs of photography obtained on subsequent missions will be
provided to the RCAF, when coverage not included on the initial flights is
obtained.
(l) When photograph is obtained by aircraft in formation or
by individual aircraft following the same flight path, the film strip of
the best quality will be selected for processing in accordance with para
(i) and (j).
(m) All photographs taken over Canada will be given a
classification of confidential or higher and none will be distributed to
another agency without prior reference to the RCAF.
NOTE: Paragraphs
2-10 (inclusive) of the document now in effect (Appendix "A") remain
unchanged. |
66 Voir/See Volume 17, Document 755. 67 Le Cabinet a
approuvé les recommandations de la Commission permanente canado-américaine
de défense le 12 novembre 1954:
"it being understood that the revisions
would make it
clear that the regulations did not cover
the carrying of nuclear weapons or components."
Cabinet
approved the PJBD's recommendations on November 12, 1954:
"it being understood that the revisions would make it
clear that the regulations did not cover the carrying of nuclear weapons
or components."
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