Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group
| Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group | |
|---|---|
| Active | formed 1968, disbanded in 1989 |
| Country | Canada |
| Type | Canadian Forces battle group |
| Role | rapid reinforcement of Norway in the event of a land war in Europe. |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ - |
The Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group, or CAST, was a Canadian Forces battle group dedicated to the rapid reinforcement of Norway in the event of a land war in Europe. The Group was based on a mechanized infantry brigade, supported by two Rapid Reinforcement Fighter Squadrons equipped with Canadair CF-5 fighters and a variety of supporting units. Manpower varied between 4,800 and 5,500 troops depending on how it was counted. CAST formed in 1968 as part of a widespread realignment of Canadian forces in Europe, and disbanded again in 1989 when the Forces were recombined into larger battalion sized group in West Germany.
The Canadian Army had a continuous presence in West Germany since 1951, when the 27 Canadian Infantry Brigade was deployed under the command of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The number of men continually increased starting in October 1953 with the arrival of the 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group (CIBG), then the 2nd, and finally the 4th in 1957 which included a full armoured regiment. From that point on, the 4th was left in the field, although the individual units within it rotated back to Canada every three years. The forces were periodically reinforced and reached 6,700 men during the mid-1960s. The British referred to the CIGB as a "light division", and during wartime additional forces would bring the group to full divisional size.
The mission of the army throughout this period was to fight a 30-day nuclear war. The forces were heavily mechanized and supported by a major commitment of the Royal Canadian Air Force's strength, notably its Canadair CF-104 Starfighters and their tactical nuclear weapons. The Canadian Navy was expected to add to the NATO mission of maintaining control of the North Atlantic and thereby guarantee the logistics needed to operate the 4th in combat conditions. Much of the needed command and logistics structure was expected to flow from the BAOR.
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