May 11, 2006 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
On 9 May 2006, between 22:30h and midnight, a chaff dispenser fell from a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 aircraft flying between 4 Wing Cold Lake and the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, Alberta, Canada.
Chaff dispenser
Anyone who believes they have found the dispenser is urged not to touch it, note its position and immediately contact 4 Wing Operations at (780) 840-8000 ext 8595.
Chaff is a metal material ejected into the air by aircraft to reflect radar waves and confuse enemy radar detection. The dispenser is approximately 15 cm by 20 cm large, weighs around 2 lbs, and is grey in color.
The Cold Lake range spreads across more than 11,000 sq.km. of northern Alberta bush land in Canada. With civilian traffic banned from the area, military pilots have free rein to practice combat skills.
The range contains dozens of mock targets for planes to attack, including airfields, industrial complexes and military installations.
Exercise Maple Flag, a six-week international air combat exercise held annually at 4 Wing Cold Lake, will be taking place from May 14 to June 23, 2006.
