From Rob Berezowski and the Milcom newsgroup (frequencies at end of post)
More than 4500 local and visiting Canadian and International military personnel are preparing for Exercise Maple Flag 42, to take place in Cold Lake, Alberta from May 18 to June 12, 2009.
The exercise is divided into two periods, with Period One May 18-29, and Period Two June 1-12. During each period Allied forces from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Singapore, the United States, Great Britain, Australia and the NATO AWACS unit will engage in a simulated air and ground campaign using the vast, unrestricted airspace of Cold Lake and its Air Weapons Range as well as the Wainwright training area for ground operations.
Period one will focus on Para deployments from US Marines Corps and Royal Netherlands Air Force Hercules C130 J/H aircraft in support of Exercise SPARTAN PEGASUS Para Assault carried out by A Company, 3 PPCLI on a Drop Zone in the Wainwright Training Area. Staging and Embarkation will be from 4 Wing Cold Lake. The assault force will include Royal Netherlands Air Defence Forces and German Forces. As well, period one will include other transport and refuelling missions.
During period two, "Blue Air" Allied Forces from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Republic of Singapore, the United States, Great Britain, and NATO Airborne Warning and Control System will engage in a simulated air campaign using the vast, unrestricted airspace and more than 640 targets of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. Participants will confront air and ground based threats against "Red Air" Opposing Forces from 64th USAF Aggressor Squadron and the Top Aces.
The USAF RQ-4 Global Hawk will be participating for the first time at Maple Flag. This long endurance, high altitude unmanned surveillance aircraft will stage from its home base in California. The Australian E-7A Wedgetail AWACS aircraft will also be participating in the exercise. The E-7A AWACS is based on the 737 airframe.
As part of the Canadian Forces International Observes Program, MF 42 will host observers from Chile, Egypt, India, Oman, Poland, Singapore; South Africa, United Arab Emirates; and Ukraine.
Working together planning combat missions and flying these missions in concert with aircraft from other nations fosters and strengthens the professional bonds forged between allied nations. The exercise will provide important training for Canadian and allied fighter aircrews, as well as transport, electronic warfare, air refueling, air defence, special forces and airborne early warning and control assets from many different nations.
Official news releases on these exercises can be viewed at:
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/4w-4e/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=8469
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/4w-4e/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=8463
As for monitoring aircraft movement in and out of Cold Lake, traditionally a lot of aircraft have moved on "transition Saturdays". Therefore, expect to see a lot of international and overseas movements to/from Cold Lake May 15 and 16, May 29 and 30, and June 12-13.
Thanks Rob for passing that along. And from the giant Milcom Monitoring Post frequency database:
Cold Lake Group Captain R W McNair, Alberta ICAO Code: CYOD
ATIS 260.0000
Approach 124.5000 322.8000
Arrival 124.5000 269.6000 279.8000 350.5000
Tower 126.2000 226.5000 236.6000 255.7000
Ground 121.9000 275.8000
Departure 124.5000 322.8000
Clearance Delivery 120.6000 230.6000
PMSV Metro 344.6000
TRAN SVCG 308.7000
Wing Operations 340.2000
