700 Naval Air Squadron
| 700X Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Squadron badge | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron |
| Role | Test and evaluation of Remotely Piloted Air Systems |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Home station | RNAS Culdrose |
| Motto(s) | Experientia docet (Latin for 'Experiences teaches') |
| Aircraft | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lieutenant Commander M. Pennant, RN[1] |
700 Naval Air Squadron (700 NAS) is a Maritime Unmanned Air System squadron in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. Known as 700X Naval Air Squadron, where the 'X' is used to designate 'experimental', it is currently the Royal Navy’s Remotely-piloted air systems (RPAS) or 'drone' expert unit.
History
[edit]Catapult flights
[edit]700 Naval Air Squadron was originally formed on 21 January 1940 at RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk) in Orkney in a plan to centralise the operations of the 700 series "Catapult" flights attached to catapult units and to act as a pool and Headquarters for all catapult aircraft embarked on Royal Navy battleships and cruisers. It was initially equipped with forty-two Supermarine Walrus flying boats, together with eleven Fairey Seafox and twelve Fairey Swordfish floatplanes.[2]
On 21 June 1940, a Walrus (P5666) of 700 Squadron on the cruiser HMS Manchester found the German battleship Scharnhorst but Manchester did not engage.[citation needed]
From July, the squadron absorbed small number of Supermarine Walrus operated from RAF Sullom Voe, designated as the Shetland Flight,[3] with aircraft and crews from RNAS Hatston and disembarked Flights from the Home Fleet. These carried out local anti-submarine patrols and shipping escort under the control of No. 18 Group RAF, within RAF Coastal Command.[4]
On 25 September 1940, Supermarine Walrus L2247, embarked on the cruiser HMAS Australia, was shot down by Vichy French fighters during the Battle of Dakar and crashed into the sea killing all three crew.[5]
In November the squadron took over the 701 Naval Air Squadron aircraft which were operating from Stornoway harbour and this became known as 700 Stornoway Flight. In March 1941 this Flight moved to RAF Sullom Voe and joined the Shetland Flight, but this then disbanded in May when RAF aircraft became available.[4]
Trailing Kriegsmarine capital ships in the lead up to the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Supermarine Walrus L2184 of 700 Naval Air Squadron from HMS Norfolk was damaged by shellfire from Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait on 23 May 1941 while still on its catapult.[6]
In June 1942, 700 Naval Air Squadron moved its HQ, known as ‘A’ Flight, the short distance across Orkney to RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern). By this time the squadron provided a ten-week training course for new catapult Flights. The final two weeks of the course were spent attached to ‘A’ Flight at for final training, before joining their allocated ship.[7] The training was broken down into an initial three weeks of aerodrome flying, at RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), in Fife, consisting circuits and landings, dive-bombing, photography and anti-submarine warfare. A second three-week block was spent at RNAS Dundee (HMS Condor II), a seaplane base / repair depot, in Dundee, where the focus was on water operations, which included night landings. Week seven was a catapult course aboard HMS Pegasus, a Royal Navy aircraft carrier/seaplane carrier, in the Irish Sea. Week eight was then a return to RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin).[4]
The final successful attack on an enemy submarine by a Walrus was on 11 July 1942, when Walrus W2709 of 700 (Levant) NAS sank the Italian submarine Ondina near Cypris in conjunction with the South African navy surface vessels HMSAS Protea and HMSAS Southern Maid, east of Cyprus.[citation needed]
There were at least 5 confirmed enemy submarines sunk or damaged by Walruses during the Second World War, including the Vichy French submarine Poncelet which was bombed by Walrus L2268 of 700 NAS from HMS Devonshire and attacked by HMS Milford on 7 November 1940 off the Cameroons. The submarine was damaged and forced to surrender, and later scuttled off the Gulf of Guinea. The crew of Petty Officer P H Parsons, Sub Lt A D Corkhill and N A Evans were all awarded gallantry medals.[citation needed]
By the middle of 1943 the squadron strength was down to twenty aircraft as radar made catapult launched aircraft unnecessary. What was left of A' Flight became 'B' Flight of 771 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Hatston[4] and 700 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 24 March 1944.[3]
Maintenance Test Pilot's School
[edit]700 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 11 November 1944 as the Maintenance Test Pilot Training Squadron at RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin).[3] It later moved to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), Hampshire, and became part of the School of Aircraft Maintenance, operating with the torpedo bomber aircraft Grumman Avenger and Fairey Barracuda, the Blackburn Firebrand strike-fighter, and the navalised fighter aircraft: Fairey Firefly, Grumman Hellcat, Supermarine Seafire, and Grumman Wildcat.[8]
It provided a training course which required each pilot to complete a minimum of five weeks test flying on FAA aircraft in active service and during the initial eleven months eighty-four test pilots were trained.[4] Remaining in Hampshire, the squadron moved to RNAS Middle Wallop (HMS Flycatcher), on 23 November 1945.[8] It moved again the following April when it 1946 the squadron relocated to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset and where in May 1948 it became part of the 50th Training Air Group. 700 Maintenance Test Pilots training Squadron disbanded in September 1949.[4]
Trials and Requirements Unit
[edit]700 Naval Air Squadron reformed as a Trials and Requirements Unit on 18 August 1955 at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), Sussex. It was equipped with the multirole training aircraft Avro Anson, Fairey Firefly TT.4 target tug, de Havilland Sea Vampire F.20 fighter-bomber, Hawker Sea Hawk day fighter, Westland Wyvern strike aircraft and Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft. 703 STU and 771 FRU had disbanded at RNAS Ford the previous day and they were successfully combined to form 700 Trials and Requirements Unit. One month later, on 19 September the squadron moved to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron).[9] In January 1956, when 787 Naval Air Squadron disbanded, 700 NAS took over its duties, however, in February 1957 the Fleet Requirements work was given to Airwork Services Ltd at Hurn. The squadron moved to RNAS Yeovilton in September 1958 where it later disbanded in July 1961.[4]
From 1957 it was based out of RNAS Lee-on-Solent to introduce the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7.
Intensive Flying Trials Units (IFTU)
[edit]- 700H NAS
- 1955-57, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Westland Whirlwind HAS.7
- 700X NAS
- 1957-58, Supermarine Scimitar F.1
- 700Y NAS
- 1958-59, RNAS Yeovilton, de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1
- 700X NAS
- 1959-61, RNAS Yeovilton, Saro P.531
- 700H NAS
- 1960-61, HMS Vengeance, Fairey Gannet and Hawker Sea Hawk deck and launch trials
- 700H NAS
- 1960-?, Westland Wessex HAS.1
- 700Z NAS
- 1961-63, RNAS Lossiemouth, Blackburn Buccaneer S.1
- 700V NAS
- 1963-64, Westland Wessex HU.5
- 700W NAS
- 1963-64, Westland Wasp HAS.1
- 700B NAS
- 1965-?, RNAS Lossiemouth, Blackburn Buccaneer S.2
- 700H NAS
- 1967-?, Westland Wessex HAS.3
- 700P NAS
- 1968-69, McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom II FG.1
- 700S NAS
- 1969-70, Westland Sea King HAS.1
- 700L NAS
- 1976-77, RNAS Yeovilton, Westland Lynx HAS.2
- 700A NAS
- 1979-80, RNAS Yeovilton, BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1
- 700L NAS
- 1990-92, RNAS Yeovilton, Westland Lynx HAS.2, (Lynx CTS Trials)
- 700M NAS
- 1998-2008, RNAS Culdrose, AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1
- 700W NAS
- 2009-2014, RNAS Yeovilton, AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2
- 700X NAS
- 2014-, RNAS Culdrose, Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma[10] QinetiQ Banshee Jet 80+[11]
The Squadron carried on trials of de Havilland Sea Vixens on HMS Victorious and HMS Centaur during 1958 and from October 1959 formed at Yeovilton with the Saunders Roe P.531 to investigate what would be needed to introduce a whole new form of helicopter operation to the Fleet – which led to the Westland Wasp.
In October 1960 flight tests of landing and take-offs from HMS Vengeance with 27 launchings of the turboprop Fairey Gannet and 34 with the Hawker Sea Hawk.
700 NAS disbanded again at RNAS Yeovilton in July 1961. However, a number of Intensive Flying Trials Units were subsequently formed under the "700 NAS" title, to prepare for new aircraft types coming into service. These operated as independent units, each being identified by a suffix letter after the squadron number (e.g. "700B").
Several of these IFTUs were formed for the introduction of the Westland Wessex, Blackburn Buccaneer, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Westland Sea King, Westland Lynx and BAe Sea Harrier into the Fleet Air Arm.
More recently, the squadron was re-commissioned at RNAS Culdrose in December 1998 as 700M Squadron, with a primary role of testing and evaluating the AgustaWestland Merlin HM.1 helicopter. 700M disbanded on 31 March 2008, transferring its aircraft and personnel to 824 Naval Air Squadron and also forming a new flight, 824 OEU. The squadron reformed again as 700W NAS in May 2009 at Yeovilton as the Lynx Wildcat Fielding Squadron. 700W expects to receive up to five Wildcats from January 2013 for operational evaluation and conversion training.[12] The squadron was disbanded in July 2014 when it was merged with 702 NAS to form 825 Naval Air Squadron, the first operational Wildcat unit.[13]
Present day
[edit]The Squadron currently operates as 700X NAS and undertakes RPAS trials, and also acts as a parent unit for the various ship-based flights operating the Insitu Scan Eagle UAV.[14] In November 2019, 700 NAS tested two new UAS, namely, the AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma and the AeroVironment Wasp III.[15] As of 2021, 12 Puma systems were deployed with the squadron permitting individual teams to be embarked on Royal Navy vessels as might be required.[16][17]
Aircraft operated
[edit]- AgustaWestland Merlin
- Westland Lynx (introduction to service)
- Supermarine Walrus
- Westland Whirlwind (tests)
- De Havilland Sea Vixen
- Fairey Gannet (tests)
- Hawker Sea Hawk (tests)
- Saunders-Roe P.531 (tests) (only 6 built)
- Westland Wasp (introduction to service)
- Westland Sea King (introduction to service)
- Boeing Insitu Scaneagle (introduction to service)
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2022. p. 86.
- ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 15
- ^ a b c Wragg 2019, p. 112.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 1.
- ^ Reports of proceedings HMAS Australia, Sept 1940, Australian War Memorial
- ^ "THE LOST FLYING BOATS OF BLACKBURN, FAIREY AND SUPERMARINE". glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Delve 2010, p. 286.
- ^ a b "Worthy Down". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Ford". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. January 2020. p. 8.
- ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2022. p. 87.
- ^ The Fleet Air Arm's Newest Squadron 700W Lynx Wildcat Commissions At RNAS Yeovilton
- ^ "700 (W) Naval Air Squadron bows out on a high | Royal Navy". Archived from the original on 2 August 2014.
- ^ "X-men take to the Cornish skies". Royal Navy. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "700X begins test of remote piloted aircraft". Royal Navy. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Royal Navy warship assists West African nations with maritime security". Royal Navy. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ "Royal Navy Expands Its Fleet Of Puma Remotely-Piloted Drones". Naval News. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
Bibliography
[edit]- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
- Delve, Ken (2010). The Military Airfields of Britain Scotland and Northern Ireland. Marlborough, Wiltshire UK: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84797-027-5.
- Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
- Wragg, David (2019). The Fleet Air Arm Handbook 1939-1945. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-9303-6.
External links
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