For the first time in over two decades, Canadian tactical helicopters are heading back to Europe. In a move announced by Defence Minister Bill Blair in late 2023, Canada would deploy Bell CH-146 Griffons to Latvia in summer 2024, followed by Boeing CH-147 Chinooks in 2025 — marking a historic return to persistent overseas operations not seen since the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts. The mission bolsters Canada’s commitment to NATO’s Multinational Brigade under Operation Reassurance.
In July 2024, two Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Boeing CC-177s from 8 Wing Trenton touched down at Riga International Airport, Latvia, carrying four Griffons. The helicopters and crews came from 1 Wing squadrons: 408, 438, 430 THS, and 403 HOTS.
On the ground, the first Tactical Aviation Detachment (TAD) rotation — Roto 0 — was waiting to offload and reassemble the aircraft. Over its deployment, Roto 0 logged 500.4 flight hours across 203 sorties.
Roto 1 arrived on Nov. 23 aboard an Airbus CC-330 Husky to take over, followed by Roto 2, now in place and led by 408 THS with support from 450, 438, and 400 THS.
The Griffin has served Canada in multiple theatres since the 1990s. It played a key role in Afghanistan under Operation Athena and in Mali during Operation Presence, providing aerial security and reconnaissance.
In early 2024, 408 THS deployed the Griffon to the Dominican Republic as part of Operation Globe, supporting the movement of personnel and supplies in and out of the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Now in Latvia, the Griffon continues to demonstrate its adaptability — delivering mobility, aerial firepower, and reconnaissance support to the NATO brigade.
Getting the call
According to Capt. Andre Bui, a CH-146 pilot with 408 THS, helicopter taskings begin with brigade units submitting requests through the G3 Aviation liaison, who prioritizes them for the brigade commander. Once approved, the TAD commander accepts the task and hands it off to the detachment’s operations office.
“After TAD ops receives a task, it’s delegated to the aircrew flight, which assigns an Air Mission Commander [AMC],” Bui said. “The AMC takes stock of the situation, issues a warning order, and coordinates with the user to determine the desired effects.”
The team then begins mission planning — selecting the best route and identifying any required support. The AMC brings the plan to the commander for approval, and once approved, issues the final orders.
During Vertical’s visit, the TAD supported a nighttime live-fire exercise with Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs) from Spain, Italy, Latvia, and Canada at the Adazi ranges.
“We all use procedures from the same NATO doctrine, [so] the whole process was very seamless, giving us all confidence in our abilities to train and fight together,” Bui said.
The mission involved two Griffons, each crewed by four night vision goggle (NVG)-equipped personnel — two pilots up front and two aerial gunners in the rear cabin. The helicopters departed in formation from the civilian airfield in Riga, transiting at 1,500 feet (457 meters) above sea level to a forward arming and refueling point (FARP), callsign Groundhog.
At the FARP, personnel armed the Griffons with C6 general-purpose machine guns — capable of firing 650 to 1,000 7.62-mm rounds per minute — mounted on both sides of each aircraft.
Bui said arming at the FARP enables “efficient flow into and out of the training area, maximizing time on station for shooting qualifications.”
Once in the range area and outside civilian airspace, the Griffons flew low and fast, hugging the terrain in tactical formation. When called in by the JTACs, they conducted gun runs on simulated targets such as armored vehicles and enemy positions.
Roughly 90 minutes later, all JTACs were qualified or re-qualified, and all four guns had run dry. The Griffons returned to Groundhog for de-arming before flying back to Riga for debriefing.
The TAD regularly flies low-level tactical missions, with Latvia’s terrain closely mirroring Canadian training areas. Bui said international standards help ease the transition, though local airspace often requires more coordination. The Kadaga ranges are the most commonly used.
Always ready
Maintaining high readiness for brigade missions relies on the dedicated maintenance crews deployed with each Griffon rotation.
“To date, we haven’t missed a single mission sortie due to an unserviceability — even when providing backup aircraft,” said Sgt. Oliver Gonzalez. “Based on that performance, our efficiency rate is 100 percent.”
Before the aircraft even arrive in-country, they undergo a full audit to ensure all systems are functioning and no critical components are near expiration. This proactive approach helps avoid in-theater delays.
“We also conduct mission-specific training on the equipment we’ll be using, such as weapon systems and countermeasures,” Gonzalez added. “As for integration, we work primarily with the Army, since they’re our primary operational customer.”
Daily maintenance tasks are dynamic and aligned with each day’s flight schedule. Senior technicians assign two maintenance crews to support aircraft launches, focusing on preventative work, inspections, and post-flight servicing.
“The day begins with the pre-flight inspections of the aircraft slated for flight,” Gonzalez said. “This includes towing the aircraft out of the hangar, refueling, and servicing.”
As part of this process, the crew chief reviews maintenance records, verifies inspections and certifications, and ensures no upcoming work conflicts with the mission. Once complete, they certify the aircraft’s airworthiness and authorize the weapon system release.
For aircraft not scheduled to fly, maintenance crews focus on preventative maintenance and the replacement of components nearing end-of-life, as well as any required inspections. This proactive strategy keeps the entire fleet mission-ready.
“Performing maintenance in a deployed theatre presents unique opportunities to collaborate with local partners and adapt to new environments,” Gonzalez said.
A key challenge is keeping tools calibrated to Canadian Airworthiness Act standards. To do so, the team partners with local companies for critical calibration work — requiring resourcefulness and careful planning to address any capability gaps.
Parts are usually shipped from Canada on Boeing CC-17s, but urgent needs are handled through high-priority requests (HPRs), sometimes using commercial carriers. Each day ends with a fleet assessment, repairs, and hangar cleanup to ensure readiness and safety.
Looking ahead, the TAD will continue to support brigade exercises with mobility, logistics, firepower, and reconnaissance — most recently resupplying ground troops during Oak Resolve. It’s also preparing to shift operations from Riga Airport to Lielvarde Air Base, which will later host CH-147 Chinooks. While focused on Latvia, the TAD’s Joint Operations Area (JOA) includes Estonia and Lithuania, and it remains ready to support NATO across the region.Bottom of Form
“I am immensely proud to lead this team of aviation professionals,” said Maj. Shannon Brown, TAD commander. “Our logisticians, drivers, maintainers, signalers, clerks, and aviators are the very best at what they do. Providing aviation effects as an integrated unit within the Multinational Brigade Latvia is an incredible privilege.”