792 Naval Air Squadron

792 NAS badge (top from 1949, bottom to 1945)
Active15 August 1940 – 2 January 1945[1]
15 January 1948 - 16 August 1950[1]
1 November 2001 – 4 June 2009[2]
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet Air Arm Second Line Squadron
Role
  • Air Target Towing Unit
  • Night Fighter Training School
  • Fleet Target Unit
SizeSquadron
Part ofFleet Air Arm
Garrison/HQRNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture)
RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk)
Motto(s)Patimur ut discant alii
(Latin for 'We suffer that others may learn')
Sapientia vincit tenebras
(Latin for 'Wisdom conquers darkness')[3]
Insignia
Squadron BadgeWhite, a lion rampant armed and langued red holding in his fore paws a target in military colours (Wartime unofficial, transferred to 794 NAS on disbandment January 1945)
Gold, a panther's head caboshed black (1949)[3]
Identification MarkingsS8A+ (all types by 1944)
220-227 (Firefly)
491-494 (Sea Hornet)
640-642 (Anson/Oxford 1948-50)[3]
Tail CodeCW (Firefly, Sea Hornet, Anson & Oxford)[3]
A Mirach 100/5 Aerial Target, an example of the type used by 792 NAS

792 Naval Air Squadron (792 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and was originally formed at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture) in August 1940 as an Air Target Unit, equipped with six Blackburn Skuas. The squadron disbanded in 1945 and merged with 794 Naval Air Squadron. 792 Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) in 1948 as a Night Fighter Training Unit. It was initially equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.1s and Avro Ansons. They were later replaced with Sea Hornets shortly before the squadron disbanded again in August 1950.

The squadron was reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) in November 2001 from the Fleet Target Group, from RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey), which closed in 1998. It operated the Mirach 100/5 unmanned subsonic drones which were used to test the Sea Dart Missile System on Type 42 destroyers and Sidewinder missiles on Harrier and Tornado fighters. It is not listed on the current Royal Navy website and is believed to have been replaced by QinetiQ's Combined Aerial Target Service contract.

History of 792 NAS

Air Target Towing Unit (1940 - 1945)

792 Naval Air Squadron formed as an Air Target Towing Unit, at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), in Cornwall, on 15 August 1940.[4] Equipped initially with six Blackburn Roc and Blackburn Skua aircraft. The Blackburn Roc was a carrier-based turret fighter aircraft adapted as a target tug and the Blackburn Skua was a carrier-based dive bomber / fighter, similarly adapted for target towing work. These aircraft were eventually withdrawn and replaced with a dedicated target tug variant of the Boulton Paul Defiant, and Miles Martinet, an aircraft designed specifically for target towing.[2] 792 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 2 January 1945 on being absorbed into 794 Naval Air Squadron.[4]

Night Fighter Training School (1948 - 1950)

de Havilland DH.103 Sea Hornet NF.21, an example of the type used by 792 NAS

792 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) on 15 January 1948, as the Night Fighter Training School. It was initially equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.Mk l, a "night fighter" variant of the carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft and the unit also had three Avro Anson, a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. These were fitted for Airborne Interception radar (AI) training. In May 1950 the squadron received de Havilland Sea Hornet NF.21 the “night fighter” variant of the twin-engined fighter aircraft. 792 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 16 August 1950, with 809 Naval Air Squadron acquiring its aircraft and role.[3]

Fleet Target Unit (2001 - 2009)

792 Naval Air Squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, on 1 November 2001 from the Fleet Target Group, (it originally formed in 1959 as the RN Pilotless Target Aircraft Squadron, and became the Fleet Target Group in January 1974),[3] which relocated from RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey), upon the airbases closure in 1998.[5]

The squadron, known as the Fleet Target Unit[6] was equipped with unmanned radio-controlled target aircraft, used for missile training, including the Mirach 100/5 Aerial Target Drone, which has similar characteristics to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The unit was tasked to provide target opportunities for ships' missile systems and for fighter aircraft during weapon systems testing and training.[7] The Sea Dart surface-to-air missile system fitted to Type 42, or Sheffield class of Guided-missile destroyer was tested. As was the AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile, used by the Royal Navy's British Aerospace Sea Harrier strike fighter and the Royal Air Forces Panavia Tornado multi role aircraft was also tested.[5]

792 Naval Air Squadron operated its target drone aircraft on temporary detachments from shore bases, Royal Navy warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in support of gun and missile trials and training, however, the squadrons role was replaced by a commercial contract in June 2009.[3] 792 NAS disbanded in June 2009, with the responsibility of target provision passing to QinetiQ.[8]

Aircraft flown

The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[4][9]

Naval Air Stations

792 Naval Air Squadron operated from a couple of naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in England:[4][3]

1940 - 1945

1948 - 1950

2001 - 2009

Commanding Officers

List of commanding officers of 792 Naval Air Squadron with month and year of appointment: [4] [2]

1940 - 1945

1948 - 1950

2001 - 2009

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 116.
  2. ^ a b c Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 93-94.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 93.
  4. ^ a b c d e Wragg 2019, p. 137.
  5. ^ a b "792 Naval Air Squadron". The National Archives (United Kingdom). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  6. ^ "X-men take to the Cornish skies". fleetairarmoa.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Royal Navy profiles 792 Naval Air Squadron, target drone operators". Sheppardmedia.com. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  8. ^ "First RNR Officer in 57 years to command a new Naval Air Squadron". fleetairarmoa.org. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  9. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 94.

Bibliography

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