Number 9 Squadron (otherwise known as No. IX (Bomber) Squadron or No. IX (B) Squadron) is the oldest dedicated Bomber Squadron of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
.
Formed in December 1914, it saw service throughout the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, including at the
Somme and
Passchendaele. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, No. IX (B) Squadron was one of two
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
units specialising in heavy precision bombing (the other was
No. 617 Squadron) and sank the battleship
Tirpitz on 12 November 1944 in
Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism was a British air raid of World War II that destroyed the German battleship ''Tirpitz''. It was conducted on 12 November 1944 by 29 Royal Air Force heavy bombers that attacked the battleship at its anchorage near the Norwegia ...
. Between 1962 and April 1982, the squadron flew the
Avro Vulcan B.2
The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe an ...
as part of the
V-Force
V Force was a reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and guerrilla organisation established by the British against Japanese forces during the Burma Campaign in World War II.
Establishment and organisation
In April 1942, when the Japanese drove t ...
. In June 1982, it became the first front-line squadron in the world to operate the
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (inter ...
GR.1. In May 1998, No. IX (B) Squadron received the RAF's first Tornado GR.4, which it operated until reequipping with the
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...
FGR.4 at its present home base of
RAF Lossiemouth
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland.
Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the ...
on 1 April 2019.
History
First World War
![R](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/R.E.8_%28Presentation%29.jpg)
No. 9 Squadron was formed on 8 December 1914 at
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France.
It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audomar, ...
in France, the first outside of the UK, from a detachment of the
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
(RFC) HQ Wireless Flight.
Known as No. 9 (Wireless) Squadron, it was tasked with developing the use of radio for reconnaissance missions through artillery spotting.
This lasted until 22 March 1915 when the squadron was disbanded and had its equipment dispersed amongst Nos.
II,
V,
6 and
16 Squadron.
[.]
The squadron reformed at
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...
on 1 April 1915 under the command of Major
Hugh Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally c ...
(later commander of
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...
during the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
) as a radio-training squadron, flying the
Farman MF.7
The Maurice Farman MF.7 ''Longhorn'' is a French biplane developed before World War I which was used for reconnaissance by both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being relegated to service as a trainer.
D ...
,
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fam ...
and
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establish ...
s.
''The Bats'' moved to
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
on 23 July, re-equipping with the
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 was a British two-seat single-engined general purpose biplane of the First World War, designed by John Kenworthy at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1913.Hare 1990, p. 171. Small numbers were used by the Royal Fly ...
a,
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...
and a single
Martinsyde S.1
The Martin-Handasyde Scout 1 was a British biplane aircraft of the early part of the First World War built by Martin-Handasyde Limited.
Design and development
It was a single-seat biplane with a Gnome engine in tractor configuration.
Operatio ...
,
before returning to Saint-Omer on 12 December as an army co-operation squadron. Moving to
Bertangles
Bertangles () is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Bertangles is situated on the D97 road, just off the N25, north of Amiens. A farmi ...
on 24 December, No. 9 Squadron commenced bombing missions on 17 January 1916 with the B.E.2c. It flew reconnaissance and artillery spotting missions during the
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...
in 1916, assisting
XIII Corps on the first day. It later operated during the
Second Battle of Arras
The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British Empire, British offensive on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German Empi ...
in 1917.
It re-equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8s in May 1917, using them for artillery spotting and contact patrols during the
Battle of Passchendaele
The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...
, during which it suffered 57 casualties, and carrying out short range tactical bombing operations in response to the
German spring offensive in March 1918. While it started to receive
Bristol Fighters in July 1918, it did not completely discard its R.E.8s until after the end of the war. No. 9 Squadron returned to the UK in August 1919, arriving at
Castle Bromwich
Castle Bromwich () is a large suburban village situated within the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of the West Midlands. It is bordered by the rest of the borough to the south east; also Sutton Coldfield to the east and ...
where it remained until disbanding on 31 December 1919.
Between the wars
The squadron's life as a bomber unit began on 1 April 1924, reforming at
RAF Upavon
Royal Air Force Upavon or RAF Upavon is a former RAF station in Wiltshire, England. It was a grass airfield, military flight training school, and administrative headquarters of the Royal Air Force. The station opened in 1912 and closed in 1993, ...
, quickly moving to
RAF Manston
Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpor ...
, with the
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed and manufactured by Vickers Limited. Developed during the latter stages of the First World War to equip the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Vimy was designed by Reginald Kirshaw "Rex" ...
. Less than a year later, the squadron re-equipped with the
Vickers Virginia
The Vickers Virginia was a biplane heavy bomber of the British Royal Air Force, developed from the Vickers Vimy.
Design and development
Work on the Virginia was started in 1920, as a replacement for the Vimy. Two prototypes were ordered on 13 ...
heavy bomber, occasionally supplemented by
Vickers Victoria
The Vickers Type 56 Victoria was a British biplane Cargo aircraft, freighter and troop transport aircraft used by the Royal Air Force. The Victoria flew for the first time in 1922 and was selected for production over the Armstrong Whitworth Awan ...
transports, which it retained until this was replaced by the
Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine biplane bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Handley Page. It holds the distinction of being the last biplane heavy bomber to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The ...
in 1936.
The squadron badge was approved by
King Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1 ...
in 1936, one of the few to be introduced during his short reign.
The badge reflects the squadron's development as a specialized night-operations unit, and is a gentle leg-pull in the direction of Air Marshal
Hugh "Boom" Trenchard, widely credited as the founder of the RAF as an independent military force, who once famously remarked "Only bats and bloody fools fly at night!" The squadron emblem is accordingly a bat, with the motto "We Fly by Night".
On 31 January 1939, No. IX Squadron became the third RAF squadron to receive the modern
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
, when their first Wellington arrived at
RAF Stradishall
Royal Air Force Stradishall or more simply RAF Stradishall is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station located north east of Haverhill, Suffolk, Haverhill, Suffolk and south west of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Part of th ...
– reaching full strength by April.
Second World War
1939–1943
![9 Squadron in Formation 1939-45](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/9_Squadron_in_Formation_1939-45.jpg)
The
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
began with the unit one of the few equipped with modern aircraft, the Vickers Wellington bomber, flying out of
RAF Honington
Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regim ...
; the Wellington later gave way to the Avro Lancaster in September 1942 upon the squadron's move to
RAF Waddington
Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England.
The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target A ...
, with which the unit would complete its most famous sorties.
On 4 September 1939, the squadron’s Wellington aircraft and crews were the first to hit the enemy, the first to get into a dogfight, possibly the first to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first to be shot down by one and, towards the end of the war, the first to hit the
German battleship ''Tirpitz'' with the
Tallboy 12,000-pound bomb, an achievement by the crew of an Avro Lancaster on her 102nd operation with the squadron.
![Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command%2C_1942-1945._CH10405.jpg)
No. IX Squadron fought with
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...
in Europe all the way through the Second World War, took part in all the major raids and big battles, pioneered and proved new tactics and equipment, produced several of the leading figures in
The Great Escape, such as
Les 'Cookie' Long, as well as Colditz inmates – including the legendary 'Medium Sized Man' Flight Lieutenant
Dominic Bruce
Dominic Bruce, (7 June 1915 – 12 February 2000) was a British Royal Air Force officer, known as the "Medium Sized Man." He has been described as "the most ingenious escaper" of the Second World War. He made seventeen attempts at escaping from ...
OBE MC AFM originator of the famous 'tea chest' escape. They became one of the two specialised squadrons attacking precision targets with the Tallboy bomb, and led the final main force raid, on
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; the ...
, 25 April 1945.
The sinking of ''Tirpitz'' (1944)
![Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command%2C_1942-1945._CH11972.jpg)
The
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
had been moved into
a fjord in Northern
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
where she threatened the
Arctic convoys
The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...
and was too far north to be attacked by air from the UK. She had already been damaged by a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
midget submarine
A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...
attack and a second attack from carrier born aircraft of the
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
. But both attacks had failed to sink her. The task was given to No. 9 and
No. 617 Squadrons who, operating from a base in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, attacked ''Tirpitz'' with
Tallboy bomb
Tallboy or Bomb, Medium Capacity, 12,000 lb was an earthquake bomb developed by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis and used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War."Medium capacity" refers to the ratio of bomb ...
s which damaged her so extensively that she was sent to
Tromsø
Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø.
Tromsø lies ...
to be used as a floating battery. This fjord was in range of bombers operating from Scotland. There in October from a base in Scotland she was attacked again. Finally on 12 November 1944, the two squadrons attacked ''Tirpitz''. The first bombs missed their target, but following aircraft scored three direct hits in quick succession causing the ship to capsize. All three RAF attacks on ''Tirpitz'' were led by Wing Commander J. B. "Willy" Tait, who had succeeded Cheshire as CO of No.
617 Squadron
Number 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, originally based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and currently based at RAF Marham in Norfolk. It is commonly known as "''The Dambusters''", for its actions during Operation Chastise a ...
in July 1944. Both squadrons claim that it was their bombs that actually sank ''Tirpitz'', however it was the
Tallboy bomb
Tallboy or Bomb, Medium Capacity, 12,000 lb was an earthquake bomb developed by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis and used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War."Medium capacity" refers to the ratio of bomb ...
dropped from a No. 9 Sqn Lancaster WS-Y (''LM220'') piloted by Flying Officer Dougie Tweddle to which the sinking of the warship is attributed. F/O Tweddle was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in the operations against ''Tirpitz''. F/O Tweddle's DFC citation reads as follows, "This officer has taken part in all three attacks on the battleship '
Tirpitz'. He has shown great determination and the keenest enthusiasm to operate and bomb his target in spite of all the hazards of enemy opposition and bad weather. In the first attack he made the long and arduous journey to the Russian base, and in the actual attack made every effort to bomb the target, despite cloud and smoke-screen. In the second attack he made the same endeavours to bomb the ship, and on the third occasion, unhampered by weather, launched his attack successfully. F/O Tweddle has always displayed courage and cheerful enthusiasm which has been of utmost value to his crew, whilst his captaincy and airmanship have consistently been of the highest order. In addition, F/O Tweddle undertook the extra hazard of wind finding for the Squadron, a task he accomplished most successfully, thereby contributing to the success of the operations even further."
''Tirpitz'' Bulkhead
Due to the sinking of ''Tirpitz'' having been attributed to No. IX (B) Squadron, an intense rivalry developed between No. 617 (a.k.a. the Junior Squadron) and No. IX (B) Squadron after the sinking of the warship. The ''Tirpitz'' Bulkhead that was presented to Bomber Command by the
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
, in commemoration of friendship and co-operation during World War II was of particular interest with both squadrons "owning" the bulkhead at various times until 2002 when the bulkhead was presented to the Bomber Command Museum.
1945
On 25 April 1945, No. IX Squadron flew their last operational mission of the war when they, along with No. 617 Squadron,
attacked Obersalzberg – targeting the
Berghof,
Eagle's Nest (residences of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
) and the local
SS barracks. 17 Lancasters of No. IX Squadron participated, with 11 bombing the primary target and one bombing a local bridge.
With the
end of the war in Europe, No. IX Squadron was assigned to the
'Tiger Force', which was composed of multiple Bomber Command squadrons, with the intention of striking the
Japanese Empire
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...
.
However, due to the
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the onl ...
in August 1945 the war was brought to an end before this could be carried out, although No. IX Squadron was deployed to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to carry out aerial survey work until April 1946.
Post–War
![XJ784 - Avro Vulcan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/XJ784_-_Avro_Vulcan.jpg)
After the War, the Lancasters were replaced by
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and ...
s until 1952, when the squadron re-equipped with
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...
B.2 jet-bombers. These aircraft were used during three months of operations in Malaya in 1956 and during the
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
.
No. IX (Bomber) Squadron was disbanded on 13 July 1961.
Reforming on 1 March 1962 at
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and hom ...
, No. IX (B) Squadron converted to the
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and ...
B.2 and became part of the V-Force of RAF Bomber Command.
Their Vulcans were equipped in late 1966 with
WE.177
The WE.177, originally styled as WE 177, and sometimes simply as WE177, was a series of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons with which the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) were equipped. It was the primary air-dropped nuclear we ...
laydown nuclear bombs at
RAF Cottesmore
Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore or more simply RAF Cottesmore is a former Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. On 15 December 2009, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced that the ...
in the low-level penetration role and assigned to
SACEUR
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...
, before spending six years in the same role 1969-74 at
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
, Cyprus, as part of the
Near East Air Force
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Eastern Mediterranean (the Near East).
History
The Command was originally ...
Wing (NEAF) where the squadron formed part of the United Kingdom's commitment to
CENTO
The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact and subsequently known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed in 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turk ...
. The years 1975-82 were spent based at RAF Waddington, again assigned to SACEUR, and still equipped with
WE.177
The WE.177, originally styled as WE 177, and sometimes simply as WE177, was a series of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons with which the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) were equipped. It was the primary air-dropped nuclear we ...
nuclear laydown bombs in the low-level penetration role before disbanding in April 1982.
Tornado GR (1982–2019)
1982–1990 (Honington to Brüggen)
No. IX (B) Squadron began to form at RAF Honington in Suffolk in early 1982 under Wing Commander P. J. Gooding, with the squadron receiving its first
Panavia Tornado GR.1 ''ZA586'' on 6 January.
The first IX (B) Squadron Tornado GR.1 sortie was made from RAF Honington on 6 April. The squadron was officially reformed on 1 June thus becoming the world's first operational Tornado squadron. No. 9 Squadron was again equipped with WE.177 nuclear laydown bombs, handed down from the Vulcan force. The squadron was officially declared combat ready to SACEUR in January 1983. No. IX (B) Squadron suffered the RAF's first Tornado loss on 27 September 1983, when Tornado GR.1 ''ZA586'' suffered complete electrical failure causing the pilot Sqn. Ldr. M. Stephens to order ejection. The navigator, Flt. Lt. N. Nickles, safely ejected from the aircraft however Sqn. Ldr. M. Stephens failed to eject and was lost in the crash.
During their time at RAF Honington, the squadron featured in the 1985 RAF recruitment film ''Tornado'', produced by the
Central Office of Information
The Central Office of Information (COI) was the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive reported to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. It was a non-ministerial department, and became an executive agency and a t ...
. The film features a training exercise in which Tornado crews prepare and execute a strike on a coastal
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...
site. On 1 October 1986, No. IX (B) Squadron moved to
RAF Brüggen
Royal Air Force Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately west of Düsseldorf on the Dutch-German bo ...
as part of
RAF Germany
The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part ...
, becoming the fourth Tornado squadron to be based there.
1991–1998 (Op GRANBY, 1991)
![Panavia Tornado GR1, UK - Air Force AN0857185](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Panavia_Tornado_GR1%2C_UK_-_Air_Force_AN0857185.jpg)
In the build up to the
First Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
in 1990, personnel of No. IX (B) Squadron were deployed to
Tabuk Air Base and
Dhahran Airfield
King Abdulaziz Air Base () , also known as Dhahran Air Base and formerly Dhahran International Airport, Dhahran Airport and Dhahran Airfield, is a Royal Saudi Air Force base located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Located west ...
in
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
as well as
Muharraq Airfield
Muharraq Airfield is a military base located adjacent to Bahrain International Airport. It is run by the United States Navy (USN) and usually ships supplies in and out of the airport with many of them from other countries as well. The USN, the Uni ...
in
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. As part of
Operation Granby
Operation Granby, commonly abbreviated Op Granby, was the code name given to the British military operations during the 1991 Gulf War. 53,462 members of the British Armed Forces were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations wa ...
, crews from these bases flew their first sorties on 17 January 1991 to gain
air superiority over Iraqi airspace. Initial bombing raids were focused on Iraqi air bases with Tornado GR.1s delivering unguided 1000lb bombs and
JP233
Originally known as the LAAAS (Low-Altitude Airfield Attack System), the JP233 is a British submunition delivery system consisting of large dispenser pods carrying several hundred submunitions designed to attack runways.
Design and development
D ...
to knock out runways. On 20 January, the squadron lost Tornado GR.1 ''ZD893'' near Tabuk when its control column failed to respond properly shortly after take off. After jettisoning their external stores, the crew attempted two landings to no avail forcing the crew to eject. Over the course of the campaign, No. IX (B) Squadron flew 200 sorties dropping 300 1000lb bombs.
The squadron suffered no loses in combat throughout the conflict, only losing ''ZD893'' outside of combat.
In the aftermath of Op GRANBY, no-fly zones were set up over Iraq:
Op WARDEN beginning in 1991 in the North and
Op JURAL in the South in 1992. No. IX (B) Squadron along with other RAF Brüggen-based squadrons, Nos.
14,
17 and
31, each conducted four month long tours of duty as part of Operation Jural. Returning home to RAF Brüggen after Operation Granby, No. IX (B) Squadron continued to maintain their nuclear delivery role until 1994. On 11 May 1998, the first Tornado GR.4 was delivered to No. IX (B) Squadron at RAF Brüggen. The 1998
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was a British policy document produced in July 1998 by the Labour Government that had gained power a year previously. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of t ...
decided that in 2001 No. 9 Squadron, along with No. 31 Squadron, would relocate from RAF Brüggen to
RAF Marham
RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station and military airbase near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia.
It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's "Main Operating ...
,
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
.
1999–2002 (Op ENGADINE, 1999)
No. IX (B) Squadron participated in the 1999
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
to liberate Kosovo as part of Operation Engadine (called Operation Allied Force by
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
). Initial sorties were flown from RAF Brüggen but the squadron later deployed to
Solenzara Air Base
Air Base 126 Solenzara (french: Base aérienne 126 Solenzara) is a French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) (ALAE) base located in the village of Ventiseri approximately 40 km north-northeast of Porto-Vecchio on Corsica.
I ...
, Corsica, along with No. 31 Squadron. In 1999, No. IX (B) Squadron became the first operational Tornado GR.4 squadron.
2003–2009 (Op TELIC, 2003)
Under the command of Wing Commander Derek Watson, the squadron formed a part of the RAF's contribution to the
Second Gulf War (
Operation Telic
Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
) after being deployed in February 2003.
Nos. II (AC), IX (B),
XIII
XIII may refer to:
* 13 (number) or XIII in Roman numerals
* 13th century in Roman numerals
* ''XIII'' (comics), a Belgian comic book series by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance
** ''XIII'' (2003 video game), a 2003 video game based on the comic b ...
, 31 and 617 Squadrons contributed to Tornado GR.4 Wing 1 based at
Ali Al Salem Air Base
Ali Al Salem Air Base is a military air base situated in Kuwait, approximately 23 miles (37 km) from the Iraqi border, and roughly 15 km west of Al Jahra. The airfield is owned by the Government of Kuwait, and during Operation Souther ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
. No. IX (B) Squadron suffered its only loss of the war on 22 March 2003 when one of their aircraft was engaged by a
Patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution
* Patriot m ...
battery in Kuwait while returning from a mission. The pilot, Flt. Lt. Kevin Barry Main, and navigator, Flt. Lt. David Rhys Williams, were both killed. Immediately after the incident it was claimed that the RAF crew had failed to switch on their
IFF
In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (shortened as "iff") is a biconditional logical connective between statements, where either both statements are true or both are false.
The connective is bicon ...
beacon. However a US journalist embedded with the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
unit operating the Patriot battery said the "army Patriots were mistakenly identifying friendly aircraft as enemy tactical ballistic missiles."
While all Tornado GR.4s were capable of carrying the
ALARM
An alarm device is a mechanism that gives an audible, visual or other kind of alarm signal to alert someone to a problem or condition that requires urgent attention.
Alphabetical musical instruments
Etymology
The word ''alarm'' comes from th ...
anti-radiation missile
An anti-radiation missile (ARM) is a missile designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source. Typically, these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communications can also be t ...
, Nos. IX (B) and 31 Squadrons specialised in the role, in which they were known as "Pathfinder" squadrons. From 2004 to 2010, No. 9 Squadron annually deployed in support of Op TELIC.
2010 (Op HERRICK, 2010)
No. IX (B) Squadron saw its first tour of duty on
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assis ...
at
Kandahar Airfield
Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport, also referred to as Kandahar International Airport ( ps, د کندهار نړيوال هوايي ډګر) and by some military officials as Kandahar Airfield, KAF) , is located about south-east of the city K ...
, Afghanistan in early January 2010, taking over from No. 31 Squadron. The squadron's Tornado GR.4s flew both
close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
(CAS) missions for ground forces as well as flying multiple reconnaissance missions using the
RAPTOR
Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to:
Animals
The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons.
* Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on v ...
(Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado) and
LITENING III pod. No. IX (B) Squadron handed over their duties to No. II (AC) Squadron on 13 April after a three month deployment. In that time the squadron launched 450 times, amassed nearly 1,600 flying hours and undertook almost 40 CAS missions. The penultimate leg of the squadron's journey home was completed aboard
HMS ''Albion'' from Santander due to
air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
In response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulti ...
.
2011 (Op ELLAMY, 2011)
In March 2011, No. IX(B) Squadron was the first RAF Tornado squadron to participate in
Operation Ellamy
Operation Ellamy was the codename for the United Kingdom participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. The operation was part of an international coalition aimed at enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone in accordance with the United Nation ...
. The squadron performed the second-longest ranged attack sorties in the history of the RAF and the first to be launched from the UK mainland since the Second World War, launching
Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French low-observable, long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA. Storm Shadow is the weapon's British appellation. In French service, it is ...
strikes from the squadron's home base at RAF Marham and hitting targets deep inside Libya. The squadron then deployed forward to continue operations from
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...
in Southern Italy. After a brief respite from the action, during which it was relieved by No. II (AC) Squadron, No. IX (B) Squadron was selected to return to Gioia del Colle. Aircrew of No. IX (B) Squadron were inside Libyan airspace on 20 October 2011 when the conflict came to an end with the capture of
Colonel Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spelling ...
by NTC fighters. The squadron returned home on 1 November 2011 after participating in one of the most successful NATO operations ever conducted (
Operation Unified Protector
Operation Unified Protector was a NATO operation in 2011 enforcing United Nations United Nations Security Council, Security Council United Nations Security Council resolution, resolutions United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970, 1970 and ...
). Nos. IX (B), II (AC) and
47 Squadrons were the only RAF squadrons awarded the right to emblazon the battle honour ''Libya 2011'' on their squadron standards.
2012–2014 (Op HERRICK, 2012–14)
No. IX (B) Squadron returned to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan as part of Operation HERRICK in December 2012, taking over from No. II (AC) Squadron. No. IX (B) Squadron were deployed for four months before returning to RAF Marham on 18 March 2013. The squadron participated in
Exercise Red Flag
Exercise Red Flag (also Red Flag – Nellis) is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the United States Air Force. It aims to offer realistic air-combat training for military pilots and other flight ...
14-1 at
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, U.S.A., between 27 January to 14 February 2014, operating alongside and against the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
,
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
,
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
and the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
.
No. IX (B) Squadron's last deployment to Afghanistan was in June 2014 when they again took over from No. II (AC) Squadron before being replaced by No. 31 Squadron in September – the last RAF Tornados to be deployed. To celebrate 100 years of No. IX (B) Squadron, Tornado GR.4 ''ZA356'' was painted in a special commemorative scheme to mark the occasion.
2014–2019 (Op SHADER, 2014–19)
After an emergency meeting at the
Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms
The Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) are meeting rooms in the Cabinet Office in London. These rooms are used for committees which co-ordinate the actions of government bodies in response to national or regional crises, or during overseas ev ...
on 11 August 2014, it was decided to deploy RAF Tornado GR.4s from RAF Marham to RAF Akrotiri to help support aid efforts to refugees in the Iraqi
Sinjar Mountains
The Sinjar Mountains ( ku, چیایێ شنگالێ, translit=Çiyayê Şingalê, ar, جبل سنجار, translit=Jabal Sinjār, syr, ܛܘܪܐ ܕܫܝܓܪ, Ṭura d'Shingar,) are a mountain range that runs east to west, rising above the surroundi ...
who were under attack by
Daesh
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ' ...
. On 26 September,
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
voted in favour of airstrikes against IS, with the first strikes occurring on the 30 September. No. IX(B) Squadron contributed to the 1,300 missions conducted by RAF Tornado GR.4s and
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
s during the first year of action against Daesh. On 8 December 2014, squadron members both past and present held a service at Saint-Omer to mark 100 years since No. 9 Squadron was first formed. After Parliament approved strikes in Syria on 2 December 2015, No. IX (B) Squadron Tornado GR.4s carried attacks the same day on
Daesh owned oil fields in al-Omar, Syria.
On 14 April 2018, No. IX (B) Squadron aircrew participated in the
missile strikes against Syria in response to the Syrian government's suspected
chemical attack
Chemical warfare (CW) involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up CBRN, the military acronym ...
in
Douma. On 10 July 2018, nine Tornado GR.4s of No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron participated in a flypast over London to celebrate the Royal Air Force's 100th anniversary. On 6 November 2018, the RAF unveiled Tornado GR.4 ''ZG775'' in a special commemorative No. IX (B) Squadron scheme to celebrate the squadron's 37 years of Tornado operations, the first of three Tornado retirement schemes to be made public.
On 4 and 5 February 2019, the eight Tornado GR.4s of No. IX (B) Squadron and No. 31 Squadron that had been deployed to RAF Akrotiri returned home to RAF Marham ahead of the Tornado's retirement on 31 March 2019. Nos. IX (B) and 31 Squadrons held a joint parade at RAF Marham on 14 March 2019 to mark the impending disbandment of the Tornado GR Force. Although the parade flypast was Tornado's last planned sortie in RAF service, both squadrons maintained readiness for operations until the type's out-of-service date of 31 March 2019. The two squadron commanders simultaneously lowered their pennants at 0931hrs
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a cons ...
on the following day, making No. IX(B) the world's first and the RAF's joint-last operational Tornado squadron.
Eurofighter Typhoon (2019 onwards)
![2019 Royal International Air Tattoo 1P4A6215 (48379481306)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/2019_Royal_International_Air_Tattoo_1P4A6215_%2848379481306%29.jpg)
Four Typhoon FGR4s (''ZJ913'', ''ZJ921'', ''ZJ924'' and ''ZJ935'') were assigned to No. IX (B) Squadron (Designate) at
RAF Lossiemouth
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland.
Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the ...
in February 2019,
the first appearing in squadron markings on 13 February. No. IX (B) Squadron re-equipped as an
aggressor and air defence squadron operating
Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 at 0931hrs GMT on 1 April 2019, thereby continuing in unbroken service upon Tornado's retirement.
The squadron marked its change of aircraft, role and location with a further parade on 2 May 2019, having formally reformed on 1 April.
On 24 March 2020, No. IX (B) Squadron were awarded the
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
'Afghanistan 2001–2014' (without the right to emblazon) by Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
due to their participation in Operation Herrick. To mark the 75th anniversary of
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...
on 8 May 2020, a pair of No. IX (B) Squadron Typhoons performed a flypast over
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. On 12 May 2020, the squadron participated in Exercise Point Blank 20-2 alongside Typhoon FGR4s from RAF Coningsby and Lossiemouth,
F-35B Lightnings from RAF Marham, as well as
F-15C Eagles of the
493rd FS and
F-15E Strike Eagles of the
494th FS – based at
RAF Lakenheath
Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The base also sits close to Brandon.
Despite being an RAF stati ...
, Suffolk. On 16 November 2020, ''the Bats'' deployed Typhoons to
Konya Air Base in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
to conduct training alongside locally based
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
s.
On 23 April 2021, four Typhoons from No. IX (B) Squadron deployed to
Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, to carry out enhanced Air Policing (eAP) on behalf of NATO.
Aircraft operated
Aircraft operated include:
*
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establish ...
a (Dec 1914–Feb 1915)
*
Farman MF.7
The Maurice Farman MF.7 ''Longhorn'' is a French biplane developed before World War I which was used for reconnaissance by both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being relegated to service as a trainer.
D ...
(Dec 1914–Feb 1915; Apr 1915–Nov 1915)
*
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fam ...
(Dec 1914–Mar 1915; Apr 1915–Aug 1915)
*
Farman MF.11 (Dec 1914–Mar 1915)
*
Blériot XI Parasol (Jan 1915–Mar 1915)
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2b (Jan 1915–Feb 1915)
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c (Jan 1915–Feb 1915; Aug 1915–Oct 1916)
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 (Apr 1915–Jul 1915)
*
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 was a British two-seat single-engined general purpose biplane of the First World War, designed by John Kenworthy at the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1913.Hare 1990, p. 171. Small numbers were used by the Royal Fly ...
a (Jul 1915–Nov 1915)
*
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...
(Jul 1915–Nov 1915)
*
Martinsyde S.1
The Martin-Handasyde Scout 1 was a British biplane aircraft of the early part of the First World War built by Martin-Handasyde Limited.
Design and development
It was a single-seat biplane with a Gnome engine in tractor configuration.
Operatio ...
(Jul 1915–Nov 1915)
*
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7
__NOTOC__
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.7 was a British two-seat light bomber and reconnaissance biplane designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory and built under contracts by the Coventry Ordnance Works, Austin, Napier and Siddeley-Deasy for the ...
(Nov 1915–Nov 1915)
*
Bristol Scout
The Bristol Scout was a single-seat rotary-engined biplane originally designed as a racing aircraft. Like similar fast, light aircraft of the period it was used by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type. It was one of t ...
(Dec 1915–Jun 1916)
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2d (Jun 1916–Sep 1916)
* Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2e (Aug 1916–Jun 1917)
*
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed and produced at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was also built under contract by Austin Motors, Daimler, Standar ...
(May 1917–May 1919)
*
Bristol F.2
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff"'' ...
b (Jul 1918–Oct 1918; Feb 1919–Jul 1919)
*
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed and manufactured by Vickers Limited. Developed during the latter stages of the First World War to equip the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Vimy was designed by Reginald Kirshaw "Rex" ...
(Apr 1924–Oct 1925)
*
Vickers Virginia
The Vickers Virginia was a biplane heavy bomber of the British Royal Air Force, developed from the Vickers Vimy.
Design and development
Work on the Virginia was started in 1920, as a replacement for the Vimy. Two prototypes were ordered on 13 ...
Mk.IV (Sep 1924–Mar 1927)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.V (Jan 1925–May 1926)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.VI (Jun 1925–Apr 1927)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.VII (Jul 1926–Jun 1930)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.VIII (Jan 1927–Mar 1927)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.IX (Jul 1927–Feb 1932)
* Vickers Virginia Mk.X (Jan 1929–Apr 1936)
*
Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine biplane bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Handley Page. It holds the distinction of being the last biplane heavy bomber to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The ...
Mk.III (Mar 1936–May 1939)
*
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...
Mk.I (Jan 1939–Dec 1939)
* Vickers Wellington Mk.Ia (Sep 1939–Sep 1940)
* Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic (Feb 1940–Oct 1941; May 1942–Jun 1942)
* Vickers Wellington Mk.II (Mar 1941–Aug 1941)
* Vickers Wellington Mk.III (Jul 1941–Aug 1942)
*
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
Mk.I (Sep 1942–Dec 1945; May 1946–Jul 1946)
* Avro Lancaster Mk.III (Sep 1942–Dec 1945; May 1946–Jul 1946)
* Avro Lancaster Mk.VII (Nov 1945–Apr 1946)
*
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and ...
B.2 (Jul 1946–May 1952)
*
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...
B.2 (May 1952–Jun 1956)
* English Electric Canberra B.6 (Sep 1955–Jul 1961)
*
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and ...
B.2 (Apr 1962–Apr 1982)
*
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (inter ...
GR.1 (Jan 1982–1999)
* Panavia Tornado GR.4 (May 1998–Mar 2019)
*
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...
FGR.4 (Feb 2019–present)
Affiliations
No. IX (B) Squadron is affiliated to , the
King's Royal Hussars
The King's Royal Hussars (KRH) is a Royal Armoured Corps regiment of the British Army formed in 1992. Based at Tidworth it serves as the armoured regiment of the 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). Under Army 2020 Refine, it is intended to e ...
and the
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London, England associated with the silk and velvet trades.
History and functions
The Haberdashers' Company follows the M ...
. In March 2017, the squadron was twinned with
No. 9 Squadron of the
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
.
See also
*
List of RAF squadrons
Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, during the First World ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*Ministry of Defence (11 October 2017)
"Royal Air Force squadrons recognised for gallantry"
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
* Lewis, Peter. ''Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59''. London: Putnam, 1959.
* Thorburn, Gordon. ''Bombers, First and Last''. London: Anova Books, 2006. .
* Thorburn, Gordon. ''No Need to Die''. Yeovil: Haynes Publishing, 2009. .
External links
Royal Air Force - 9 Squadron
{{RAF squadrons
Military units and formations established in 1914
009 Squadron
009 Squadron
RAF Marham units
1914 establishments in the United Kingdom