Regarding the stealing of radar, the 414 Squadron personnel would electronically find and lock onto the radar set of a jet or a ground station, and take control of it. In stealing a radio communication frequency, 414 would pretend to be a fighter pilot or ground controller, and disrupt the air defence by doing things such as sending fighters in a wrong direction. A superb example of such stealing took place during a huge air exercise at Cold Lake, Alberta. A swarm of American and Canadian aircraft were divided into two teams. One team received command, control, and warnings of an enemy from a United States Air Force Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) jet, whose radar could monitor the entire battlefield. The crew of a 414 Squadron aircraft, the other team, was unable to break into the AWACS's air defence radio frequencies, but instead managed to contact the pilot and convince him that the AWACS had to return immediately to their home base at Tinker, Oklahoma. Off the AWACS flew, leaving their team to fend for themselves.414 Squadron archives
