1 Canadian Air Division 1 Canadian Air Division ( 1 Cdn Air Div ) ( French : " 1 Division aérienne du Canada " ) is the operational - level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force . Prior to 2006 the official abbreviation for the division was 1 CAD . It is commanded by an air force major - general . No . 1 Air Division RCAF 1952 - 1967 . The division traces its origins to the activation of Headquarters No . 1 Air Division , Royal Canadian Air Force in Paris , France on 1 October 1952 , but were relocated to Metz , France in April 1953 . No . 1 Air Division was established to meet Canada ' s NATO air defence commitments in Europe . It consisted of twelve fighter squadrons located at four bases . Two bases were located in France ( RCAF Station Marville and RCAF Station Grostenquin ) and two were located in West Germany ( RCAF Station Zweibrücken and RCAF Station Baden - Soellingen ) . These wings were part of a group of bases which also included U . S . and French installations , all of which came under the jurisdiction of NATO ' s Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force ( 4 ATAF ) which , in turn , was commanded by Allied Air Forces Central Europe ( AAFCE ) . Components located in Metz included Air Division Headquarters , an air traffic control centre , a telecommunications centre , a combat operations centre , and a support unit . Canadian squadrons were originally equipped with Canadair Sabre day fighters . One squadron of each wing , however , would be replaced by the all - weather CF - 100 in 1956 . The Sabre squadrons were replaced by ( nuclear ) strike / reconnaissance CF - 104 Starfighters in 1962 . After the RCAF left France in 1967 and after the RCAF was reorganized and consolidated with Canada ' s other two services , No . 1 Air Division was replaced by No . 1 Canadian Air Group ( 1 CAG ) with headquarters at CFB Lahr , West Germany . As an austerity measure , in 1968 No . 3 Wing Zweibrucken was closed and its two squadrons were moved to Nos . 1 and 4 Wing . 1969 brought the announcement that the amalgamation of the Canadian Forces in Europe to one command and two bases , and that the Canadian army in northern Germany ( Soest area ) would be moving south to Nos . 1 and 4 Wings . This meant that No . 1 Wing Lahr would close its doors and the air force in Europe would be reduced in strength ( from 6 to 3 squadrons ) and concentrated at Baden - Soellingen ; the new name would be 1 Canadian Air Group ( CAG ) . The Group remained until 1988 when Canada increased her commitment to NATO ( 3 squadrons in theatre and two squadrons in Canada ) and No . 1 Canadian Air Division stood - up again . However , shortly after this , relations with the east started to warm and Canada made another announcement ; Canada would withdraw her forces stationed in Europe and close the doors on her two bases by 1994 . The Air Division , reduced to three squadrons then to two and finally one , ceased flying operations 1 January 1993 . This ended a major era of Canada ' s Air Force . Recreation from 1997 . In the summer of 1997 , the functionally based groups ( Air Transport Group , Fighter Group , Maritime , Air Reserve , and 10 Tactical Air Group ) were dissolved , and 14 Training Group was absorbed within Air Command Headquarters . 1 Canadian Air Division was stood up in Winnipeg to exercise operational command of all CF air assets . Today based in Winnipeg , Manitoba , the division is also the headquarters for the Canadian NORAD Region ( CANR ) , commands 11 of the RCAF ' s 13 wings , and oversees the monitoring of Canada ' s airspace in support of the nation ' s commitments to the North American Aerospace Defence Command ( NORAD ) . The division is staffed by 600 regular and reserve force members . In addition to military personnel the headquarters is also assisted by civilian personnel in the Operational Research and Analysis Directorate ( ORAD ) .