RCAF Station Grostenquin

RCAF Station Grostenquin
Sabre Mk 5 of No. 416 Squadron at Grostenquin, 1953
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military Airfield Military training facility (POLYGON)
Owner	Government of Canada 1952–1964 Government of France (1964–present)
Operator	RCAF (1952–1964) French Air Force (1979–present)
Location	Grostenquin, France
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 15/33 2,830 ashpalt/concrete

RCAF Station Grostenquin, also known as 2 (Fighter) Wing or 2 Wing, was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station located five km north of the town of Grostenquin in the Moselle department, Lorraine, northeastern France. It was one of four RCAF wings, consisting of three fighter squadrons each, established in Europe in the early 1950s at the beginning of the Cold War. The other three wings were located at RCAF Station Marville (1 Wing) in France, and RCAF Station Zweibrücken (3 Wing) and RCAF Station Baden-Soellingen (4 Wing) in the former West Germany.

These wings were part of the RCAF's No. 1 Air Division which was formed as part of Canada's air defence commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO was established to offer a united defence against the increasing threat posed by the Soviet bloc in Europe, and Canada committed to support its European allies with its armed forces.

No. 2 Wing's three squadrons flew from Canada between September 28 and October 11, 1952 during Operation Leapfrog II. They were the first of the Canadian Air Division squadrons to arrive in mainland Europe, and the first RCAF squadrons to be based on the European mainland since March 1946.

All twelve Air Division squadrons flew the Canadair F-86 Sabre day fighter. The squadrons originally based at Grostenquin were 416, 421 and 430. Beginning in 1956 four all-weather CF-100 squadrons entered service with Air Division. One squadron in each wing was replaced by a CF-100 squadron. No. 416 Squadron was replaced by 423 Squadron at 2 Wing. In 1959 Canada adopted a controversial nuclear strike role in accordance with NATO's doctrine of "limited nuclear warfare" and began re-equipping with the new CF-104 Starfighter that could deliver nuclear weapons. This aircraft also had a reconnaissance role. In the fall of 1962 the Sabre squadrons of the Air Division, including 421 and 430 Squadrons at 2 Wing, were re-equipped with the Starfighter. Concurrently, CF-100s ceased operation in the Air Division and 423 Squadron was disbanded.