No. 23 Squadron RAF

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No. 23 Squadron RAF

Active	1 September 1915
Role	AWACS
Garrison/HQ	RAF Waddington
Motto	"Semper Aggressus" (Always having attacked)
Equipment	E-3 Sentry
Battle honours	Home Defence 1916, Western Front 1916-1918, Somme 1916, Arras, Ypres 1917, Somme 1918, Channel & North Sea 1939-1940, Fortress Europe 1940-1944, Norht Africa 1943, Sicily 1943, Italy 1943-1944, Anzio & Nettuno, France & Germany 1944-1945, Ruhr 1944-1945, Kosovo, Iraq 2003
Insignia
Identification symbol	An eagle preying on a falcon

No. 23 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing E-3D Sentry from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.

The RAF Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) fleet is made up of seven E-3Ds, with the UK designation Sentry AEW1 ("Airborne Early Warning Mark 1") and the aircraft are pooled between 23 Sqn and No. 8 Squadron.

[edit] History

No. 23 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport on 1 September 1915. The squadron moved to France in 1916 flying FE2bs. The squadron used the FE2b on escort duties but later in 1917 converted to Spad S.VII and Spad S.XIII single-seaters. The squadron converted to Sopwith Dolphins in 1918 until it disbanded just after war on 31 December 1919.

The squadron was re-formed on 1 July 1925 at RAF Henlow with the Sopwith Snipe then used other biplane fighters. In 1938 it became a night-fighter squadron using the Bristol Blenheim. These were replaced by the Douglas Havoc and then the de Havilland Mosquito. Between 1942 and 1944 the squadron moved to Malta. It returned to England and was disbanded in September 1945.

The squadron was reformed in 1946 as a night fighter squadron operating the de Havilland Mosquito.

In 1957 the squadron converted to the Gloster Javelin all-weather fighter, beginning a long period operating in the air defence role.

The squadron has a strong heritage in the air defence role, operating Gloster Javelins, Lightnings, Phantoms and Tornado F3s. With its Phantoms the squadron was deployed to Stanley airfield, Falkland Islands after their recapture from Argentina. They remained here until 1988 when its duty was assumed by 1435 Flt. The squadron then reformed at RAF Leeming with the Panavia Tornado which it operated until 1994.

The squadron assumed the AEW role in 1996, sharing the RAF's Sentry AEW1 with No. 8 Squadron.