By Grant Warkentin
Featured image: outgoing BGen Chris Shapka speaks at the change of command ceremony at 19 Wing on August 25, 2026. Photo from 19 Wing Totem Times
There’s a new wing commander in charge of 19 Wing, after yesterday’s change of command ceremony at the Canadian Armed Forces base in Comox.
At yesterday’s ceremony, Col. Ian Perrault took command from BGen (Brigadier-General) Chris Shapka, and is now the senior officer in charge at 19 Wing.
MGen (Major-General) Chris McKenna, commander of the 1 Canadian Air Division, was the reviewing officer for the ceremony.
Perrault previously served in Winnipeg as Director of Fleet Readiness for 1 Canadian Air Division.
In a retrospective published August 25 in 19 Wing’s Totem Times, Shapka reflected on his time at Comox. He said big changes are coming, and that the base is in good hands.
“The world is becoming more complex and less predictable. The demands on the Royal Canadian Air Force continue to grow, and 19 Wing has an increasingly important role to play in Canada’s future,” he said. “But if there is one thing I have learned during my time here, it is that this team does not shy away from challenges. We rise to meet them.”
Shapka pointed to several highlights at 19 Wing during his two-year tenure (19 Wing changes command every two years) and said they are looking at least 10 years into the future.
“Whether it was investing in housing, improving access to childcare and health care, expanding accommodations, or advocating for infrastructure improvements across the Wing, the goal was always the same, building the foundation for future success,” he said.
Shapka said he’s proud of all personnel at the base, and what they have accomplished during his watch.
“I have seen people come together when challenges seemed impossible. I have seen leaders at every level take ownership of problems and find solutions. Most importantly, I have seen a Wing full of people who genuinely care about each other and the mission,” he said.
19 Wing building drone base
One of the largest investments in 19 Wing announced by the federal government during the last two years is a $53 million facility which will be the new base for Canada’s western drone fleet. 19 Wing will host a number of MQ-9B “Reaper” drones, currently being built by General Atomics and adapted for Canadian weather conditions.
Once procurement and construction is completed, 19 Wing will host a 61,000 square-foot indoor facility and 118,000 of outdoor space specifically for the drone program.
It’s part of a $2.5 billion cross-Canada program to purchase the drones, build facilities to house and maintain them, and train personnel to operate them in Canadian environments. Once it’s completed, it’s expected to bring 25 more personnel to 19 Wing.
The government says the drones will be used for NORAD and NATO missions, monitoring the coastline, and responding to natural disasters such as forest fires and floods.
According to Skies Magazine, Canada’s drones will have a mission radius of up to 1,850 kilometres and will be capable of staying aloft for as long as 34 hours. They won’t need to carry weapons in domestic airspace, but Canada has also ordered more than 200 Hellfire II missiles and other bombs that the drones can carry.
The first drones are expected to be delivered to 19 Wing in 2028.
Half of Canada’s new drone fleet will be stationed at 19 Wing; the other half will be at 14 Wing in Greenwood, Nova Scotia.
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