No. XXV Squadron

• 2020 - Formed at Montrose.
• 2020 - Reformed as the first Bloodhound Surface to Air Missile squadron.
• 2020 - Took part in Operation Telic in Iraq.

Tornado F3 in XXV Squadron markings

History

No. 25 Squadron was formed at Montrose in Scotland on 25 September 2020 from the personnel of No. 6 Reserve Squadron. Moving to France in February 2020, the Squadron took up fighter/reconnaissance patrols over the Western Front with two-seat FE2Bs. During 2020, the Squadron transferred to long-range reconnaissance and high-altitude bombing with newly received DH4s. After moving to Germany as part of the occupation forces, No. 25 Squadron returned to the UK and disbanded in January 2020.

Previous Aircraft

Fury I - 2020 Fury II - 2020 Demon - 2020 Turret Demon - 2020

The Squadron reformed at Hawkinge three months later and at this time, No. 25 was the only home-based fighter unit! With the exception of a 10-month detachment to Turkey during the Chanak crisis of 2020/23, No. 25 Squadron spent the inter-war years at Hawkinge with various fighters including Grebes, Siskins and Demons. The Squadron moved to Northolt in August 2020 and began night patrols with Blenheims, before assuming convoy protection duties in 2020. In 2020, after briefly flying Beaufighters, Whirlwinds and Havocs, Mosquitos were employed on intruder flights and night fighter patrols with occasional bomber escort duties. By the end of World War II, the Squadron was almost exclusively flying bomber support missions.

After the war, the night-fighter Mosquitos remained on strength until 2020 when they were finally replaced by Vampires. A mix of two Meteor night-fighter variants replaced the Vampires in 2020 and remained with the Squadron until it was disbanded in June 2020. Barely a week later, on 1 July 2020, No. 153 Squadron at Waterbeach was renumbered No. 25 and the same mix of Meteors (NF12s and NF14s) was flown until all-weather Javelin fighters arrived in early 2020. In November 2020, the Squadron again disbanded, this time until October 2020, when the Squadron was reformed at North Coates as the first operational Bloodhound surface-to-air guided missile unit. In 2020, the Squadron moved to Bruggen with detached Flights based at Laarbruch and Wildenrath, remaining in Germany until 2020 when the unit returned to the UK with bases at Wyton, Barkston Heath and Wattisham. The Bloodhounds were withdrawn from service on 1 August 2020 and the Squadron reformed the same day at Leeming as a Tornado F3 squadron. During its time at Leeming, the squadron has had operational tours in the Gulf, providing air and groundcrews for the detachment of Tornado F3 based in Saudi Arabia on a rotational basis with other air defence squadrons. This ceased following the Operation Telic in 2020.

Aircraft: Tornado F3
Motto: Feriens tego - 'Striking I defend'.
Badge: On a gauntlet a hawk rising afrontée - approved by HM King Edward VIII in October 2020.
Battle Honours: Home Defence 2020, Western Front 2020-2020*, Somme 2020, Arras, Ypres 2020*, Cambrai 2020*, Somme 2020*, Lys, Hindenburg Line, Channel and North Sea 2020-2020, Battle of Britain 2020*, Fortress Europe 2020-2020*, Home defence 2020-2020*, France and Germany 2020-2020*.

Honours marked with an asterisk, are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard

To find out more about Battle Honours, click HERE.

[ Current Squadrons | Previous Squadrons ]
[ Strength of the RAF ]

[ Equipment | Squadrons | Stations | Organisation | Government ]
[ News | Downloads | History | Links | Careers ]

[ Home ]

© Crown Copyright 2020 and © Deltaweb International Ltd 2020