Six Canadian CF-18 Hornet jets are deploying to Eastern Europe in response to Ukraine crisis

As part of Canada’s commitment to the NATO, the government of PM Harper decided to dispatch six Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet jets to Eastern Europe.

On Apr. 29, six RCAF Hornets belonging to the 425th Tactical Fighter Squadron have left Canadian Forces Base Bagotville in Quebec to join their NATO counter parts that have increased their presence around Ukraine.

The flight, supported by a Polaris tanker and an Aurora patrol aircraft have made a stopover in Keflavik, Iceland, on their way to Romania.

The purpose of their mission is “to conduct training activities in support of immediate reassurance measures.”

The Canadian CF-18s are multirole aircraft that have been extensively used during the Libya Air War in 2011, when they operated from Trapani airbase, in Italy.

H/T to Winston for the heads-up. Image credit: RCAF

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.