Reid, Thomas: my Air Force recollections (November 16, 2007)

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Rank: Colonel.

Interviewee: Reid, Thomas

An interview/narrative of Colonel Tom Reid's experiences whilst serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Interview took place on November 16, 2007.

ABSTRACT: Colonel Tom Reid Interview by Val Rundans November 16, 2007 at Reid residence in Metchosin, BC Digital recording length Part 1 0:03:44 Part 2 1:02:16 Map of recording Part 1 0:00:17 bio info- born Scotland- to Canada 1953- enlisted RCAF- trained at Claresholm and Portage La Prairie- by 1955 in F-86 NATO squadron in Europe till 1958- then instructor at Portage la prairie- Staff College- 104s in Europe- commandant flying school in Moose Jaw- start of Snowbirds in 1971- NORAD tours start with Duluth 0:02:28 assistant deputy for operations 23 NORAD Region Dulth MN- 1973 to 1976- responsibilities- receiving command info, making force readiness, postures, preparing aircraft locations and positions 0:03:31 what bases controlled out of Duluth? Part 2 0:00:05 2 bases controlled out of Duluth- Duluth and Selfridge- also army air defense command- commander of 23 NORAD Region army general Thomas Barfield- unique- retired in 1976- CDN duty commander Brigadier-General A.B.C. Johnson 0:02:00 process of detection and interception 1973-1976- DEW line picks up tracks- sends to Colorado springs- Mid Canada line another radar set- at high altitude 200nm range- Cadin-Pinetree line in south- used for tracking- info relayed into computers at Region- direct link from own sites 0:03:56 in conjunction with SAGE 0:4:18 some aircraft didn’t need pilot to control- completely automatic in air 0:04:53 if no data link-voice vectors- heading and range- voice control from ground till acquisition on own system 0:05:36 101 Voodoos capable of data link- 101s also based in Duluth- 106s at 24 NORAD Region adjacent- 106 range similar to Voodoo- shortish- no problem with Russian bombers with gravity bombs- ok to penetrate CDN air space- threat changes with cruise missile 0:07:35 106 and Voodoo SAGE controlled 0:07:44 deputy commander Canada NORAD region 1982-1985- big structural change- Canada now took over all CDN territory- 22 NORAD Region designation gone- Canada West and Canada East controlled out of North Bay- transforming out of SAGE- no more “Bonny and Clyde”- 200’ x 30’ computers with Czech vacuum tube requirement- new computers size of 3 household fridges 0:10:49 control now in Canada- Mid Canada line gone- big gap in ctr- no continuity in tracking after breach of DEW line- very dramatic and dynamic change in command and control- 0:11:15 retiring 101s- CF-18 brought into service 1985- last Bear hunt w/ 101s- intercepted Soviet Bear north of DEW line in CDN Arctic (photo on wall)- w/ cruise missile capable of 1500 km standoff- 1st option kill carrier- Bear and supersonic backfire- if DEW line penetrated not know where enemy aircraft would be-change in plans- submarine threat- coming in low- coastal radars NG 0:16:53 AWACs now large part of game- SAGE name dropped- SAGE system gone 0:18:10 married or mated w/ AWACs E3A’s- hunter-killer packs 0:19:55 importance of AWACs to extend range- aerial refuelling tankers now planned- not component of CDN system 0:21:21 1986 command and control radically changed- star wars, space command next chapter- 0:21:53 more sophisticated radars in CF-18 and F-15- much more capable- AWACs control? absolutely- importance of communications 0:23:26 NORAD responsibility- attack warning and threat assessment 0:24:00 director of air defense Colorado Springs North American Aerospace Command 1985-1989 0:24:57 worked out of downtown bldg for 1 year- transition later into more space involvement- moved to Peterson AFB- new HQ admin- role of planning dept greater and wider- fairly robust in missile warning field- new threat- change in philosophy- attack from long distance 0:28:44 components of new system- NWS, OHB over the horizon radars planned, with 1500 mile look out 0:30:00 space initiatives- needed FOLs- forward operating locations- intelligence- couldn’t sit back in Cold Lake- unless fighter placed forward- free transit- 12 AWACs all US- 2 Canadian crews 0:33:15 application for money- OHBs never funded- susceptible on both coasts- integrate north radars into Greenland system- reorg because of space command- friction btwn commands- 3 hatted NORAD commander- US Space Command under Navy admiral at this time- could be army, navy of air force- CDNs obliquely involved- Canada kind of begged off- but some input- lots of political manoeuvring- 0:37:55 “no foreign” info designation- info closely held- wide area surveillance- excluded from meetings where was a member- persisted in keeping foot in door- conflict at times- info sensors fused at Cheyenne Mtn 0:39:28 in Cheyenne Mtn on battle staff during heightened alerts- info received there- look at, assessed and distributed- Peterson AFB domestic HQ 0:41:17 earlier days- command and control watching situation- send up fighters to STOPs- get code words from Colorado springs- decentralize air battle- hand over- if war kill not id- in SAGE system 0:43:12 new system not that easy- AWACs w/ squadron more fluid- can’t see all 0:43:50 command and control structure changed- so many variables- FOLs forward operating locations- forward deployed- problem of exposure- onboard radar- needed to get there soon enough- not neat and tidy to say decentralize air battle- rules of engagement would change 0:48:00 what became obvious- do tracks from origin-see aircraft lift off their runways- new tech things 0:50:00 Bears flying again over last few months 0:50:36 NORAD now 3 regions- US, Alaska and Canada- Tyndale, Elmendorf, Winnipeg? not too familiar 0:50:36 speculation- now no OTBs, no coastal radars, no fighters sitting on alert- no FOLs- NORAD is non operational in that sense- transition- resurgence of sovereignty mission-need info- sovereignty and NORAD mission go hand in hand- no radar on coasts 0:55:40 Gov’t plans at Resolute Bay- is air force based at Resolute- no- FOLS were planned at Inuvik, Whitehorse, Rankin Inlet and Iqualuit 0:56:22 Sounds like Arrow plans? 0:57:40 Discussion of Feb 20, 1958 Avro arrow cancellation- not sure Arrow cancellation would have changed plans- would have been a marvellous asset- within SAGE and outside? Voodoo confined by SAGE? No, SAGE capable- also not constrained if got voice commands- Arrow promised more sophisticated radar suite- playing back and forth with weapons system- no fundamental change in planning- perhaps more versatile-conundrum- either have Arrow or BOMARCs but not both- BOMARC’s SAGE controlled- cost all three too much? I’m not sure, leave to you to answer.

Interviewer: Rundans, Val

In Collection:
Contributor Subject Language Keyword Date created Relation
  • Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews.
  • Title of paper: "The Point of the Arrow is Sovereignty: Continuities and Discontinuities in the Integration of North American Air Defence".
Resource type Rights statement Extent
  • 2 sound recordings (MP3)
Geographic coverage Coordinates
  • 60.10867, -113.64258
  • 38.83388, -104.82136
  • 39.76, -98.5
Additional physical characteristics
  • Original sound recordings (DVF) also available.
Physical repository Collection
  • Canadian Military Oral History Collection
Provider Genre Archival item identifier
  • RT_755
Fonds title Fonds identifier Is referenced by Date digitized
  • November 16, 2007
Technical note
  • Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 56 kbps and 22 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
Rights
  • This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
DOI

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