The Bomarc for Canada

To go hand in hand with the Voodoo, the Canadian government decided to include the CIM-99B Bomarc to their air defence arsenal. The Bomarc ("BO" for Boeing and "MARC" for Michigan Air Research) was a supersonic air breathing. rocket-boosted missile with a range exceeding 400 miles. It eventually equipped two squadrons in Canada, the first in December 1961 at North Bay, and the other in September 1962 at La Macaza each with 28 Bomarcs. However, plans had been considered for four squadrons. These squadrons would have been located at Kapuskasing, Val d'Or, Bagotville and Casey, or Kapuskasing, North Bay, Ottawa (Mount Laurier) and Bagotville. The Bomarc was controlled by the SAGE system. It was designed to intercept and destroy the large bomber formations that were envisioned flying over Canada if there was an attack on North America. The two squadrons continued to serve until April 1972 when they ceased operations and finally disbanded in September 1972.

Updated: February 15, 2001