Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 55 seconds.
Members of the Canadian Forces Aerospace Warfare Centre (CFAWC), the organization that leads innovation in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), welcomed their new commanding officer on June 21, 2017.
Col Shayne Elder succeeded Col Kelvin Truss during a change of command ceremony on June 21, 2017, at 8 Wing / Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont., where CFAWC is located.
“Innovation is key to RCAF success, and the Canadian Forces Aerospace Warfare Centre is a critical driver of innovation, and airpower mastery and development on my behalf,” said the commander of the RCAF, LGen Mike Hood. “I am very grateful for the service of Col Kelvin Truss in this regard, and look forward to the leadership of Col Shayne Elder as together we propel the RCAF forward.”
A native of Australia, Elder joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2011 after 26 years of service in the Australian Army, where he retired at the rank of brigadier after commanding 16th Aviation Brigade (Australian Army Aviation). Since joining the RCAF, Elder has commanded Canada’s Air Task Force-Iraq (2015-16), amongst other key duties.
“I am looking forward to the challenge of leading CFAWC as we move forward with the excellent work of Air Force transformation started by Col Truss and his team,” he said.
Truss, who commanded CFAWC for three years, will become the commandant of the Tedder Leadership Academy at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, U.K.
CFAWC is the RCAF’s centre of excellence for air power development, including concept development and experimentation and lessons learned. Leading innovation in the RCAF, CFAWC also supports the RCAF’s “Flight Deck” presence at Communitech, the industry-led innovation centre in Waterloo, Ont., that supports and fosters Canadian technical innovation.
In addition, CFAWC facilitates advanced synthetic environment and modelling and simulation services support of procurement, operational test and evaluation and RCAF mission rehearsal. CFAWC has called 8 Wing Trenton home since its inception in 2005, but reports directly to the commander of the RCAF in Ottawa.
“It has been a pleasure leading the men and women of CFAWC over the past three years,” said Truss. “I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish and am confident in the continued success of the unit.”
