The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) received its first F-86 Sabre jet fighters in August 1950. The Canadair factory in Cartierville, Quebec produced a total 1815 of the American-designed fighters from 9 August 1950 to 9 October 1958. The Canadian designation for the F-86 was the CL-13.
The RCAF equipped the following units with the CL-13 Sabre, which comprised the RCAF 1st Canadian Air Division in Europe:
- RCAF Number 1 Fighter Wing: Squadrons 410, 439 and 441 located in 1951 at North Luffenham England but moved to Marville France in 1955
- RCAF Number 2 Fighter Wing: Squadrons 416, 421 and 430 located at Grostenquin France
- RCAF Number 3 Fighter Wing: Squadrons 413, 427 and 434 located at Zweibrucken, Germany
- RCAF Number 4 Fighter Wing: Squadrons 414, 422 and 444 located at Baden-Söllingen Germany
The Canadair factories also produced Sabres for other nations including the United States, Britain, South Africa, West Germany and Columbia. The CL-13 Sabre and CF-100 Canuck formed the main strength of the RCAF fighter squadrons from 1950 to 1961.
