The Royal Canadian Air Force is currently investigating a sexual misconduct allegation made against a pilot from the Snowbirds aerobatics team. As a result, the team will be performing with one less plane for the time being. The commanders of 1 and 2 Canadian Air Divisions have released a statement confirming the investigation, stating that the allegation was made against a member of 431 Squadron, which is based in Moose Jaw, Sask. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service has taken charge of the investigation. However, no charges have been filed yet. The Department of National Defence has confirmed that the pilot in question is a member of the Snowbirds team but has not disclosed any information about where or when the alleged misconduct occurred. The person affected by the misconduct is also a member of the military. As a result of the ongoing investigation, the Snowbirds will perform air displays with eight planes instead of nine. This is because finding a qualified and trained replacement requires time and specialized training exercises. The member facing allegations has been reassigned to non-operational duties at 15 Wing Moose Jaw as the investigation moves forward. The Department of National Defence emphasized that this reassignment does not indicate any predetermined outcomes and is simply meant to facilitate a thorough investigation. Support and care are being provided to all affected individuals involved. The RCAF is fully cooperating with the investigators and takes all allegations of this nature seriously. In a previous review of sexual misconduct in the military, retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour recommended that the Canadian Armed Forces should no longer have jurisdiction over the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and related crimes. As for the current investigation involving the Snowbirds pilot, the military cannot disclose the reasons for referring or not referring cases to civilian police in order to prioritize victim support and maintain the integrity of ongoing investigations. Some provincial and municipal police forces have expressed concerns about the need for additional funding and resources to handle military cases. Defence Minister Anita Anand recently announced the establishment of a federal-provincial-territorial committee to facilitate discussions on the transfer of criminal sexual offense cases. Since December 2021, the military has referred 93 cases of criminal sexual offenses to civilian police, with 64 of them currently under investigation.