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The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has officially recommissioned the nation’s second frontline fighter unit operating the F-35B Lightning stealth fighter.
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The No. 809 Naval Air Squadron, known as the Immortals, is the second frontline F-35B Lightning stealth fighter squadron after being stood up at RAF Marham, Norfolk on 8 December.
During the parade at RAF Marham, Commander Nick Smith formally received the Squadron Crest from his predecessor, Commander (Ret’d) Tim Gedge, close to 41 years to the day since 809 NAS decommissioned as a Sea Harrier squadron (which also operated on land and from the decks of Royal Navy aircraft carriers).
“It is an honour and privilege to be afforded the opportunity to command 809 NAS and lead the workup to full operational capability,” according to Commander Smith.
“The squadron has a rich history of Royal Navy/Royal Air Force integration from the days of operating the Blackburn Buccaneer at RAF Lossiemouth in the 1960s and 1970s, to the Falklands Conflict in 1982, and this is set to endure well into the future.
“The latest reincarnation of ‘Phoenix Squadron’ will see this joint service approach deliver a world-leading fifth-generation combat air capability, deployable from both land and sea.”
The recommissioning sees the number of UK squadrons operating the Lightning expand to four, with No. 809 Squadron joining No. 617 Dambusters Squadron, No. 207 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit) and No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron. All are operated by both RAF and Royal Navy personnel.
“[The No.] 809 Naval Air Squadron has a proud heritage, and it is therefore entirely fitting that our nation’s most capable F-35 combat air force now has a second RN/RAF frontline squadron which carries the ‘Immortals’ name into this modern era as we continue to expand our global carrier strike capability,” said Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Martin Connell.
The No. 809 Naval Air Squadron was one of more than 100 historic Fleet Air Arm units currently dormant. The squadron had previously received battle honours acting as a strike and attack squadron during operations in the Arctic, Mediterranean, Burma, Suez and South Atlantic over a 41-year period.
“On behalf of the RAF and our Combat Air Force, it is simply superb to see 809 Squadron stand-up, continuing our endeavours to grow the Lightning Force,” said Air and Space Commander Air Marshal Harvey Smyth.
“I know from my time on Joint Force Harrier and multiple tours in the Lightning enterprise that when the RAF and RN operate together, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
“And when equipped with Lightning, it makes for an unbeatable combination for the Combat Air Force, capable of delivering next-generation air power from land and sea.”
