| No. XVII Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Test and evaluation |
| Part of |
|
| Station | Edwards AFB, California |
| Mottos | Excellere Contende (Latin for 'Strive to excel') |
| Aircraft | Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
| Tail codes | UV (Nov 1938 – Sep 1939) YB Sep (1939 – Feb 1948) UT (Feb 1949 – Mar 1951) B (Jaguars) CA–CZ (Aug 1985 – Mar 1999) |
Number 17 Squadron, also known asNo. XVII Squadron and currentlyNo. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron, is asquadron of theRoyal Air Force. It is based atEdwards Air Force Base in the United States and is theoperational evaluation unit for theLockheed Martin F-35B Lightning.
The squadron formed atGosport in 1915 as part of theRoyal Flying Corps flying theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c. During theFirst World War it conducted reconnaissance operations in Egypt, Sinai, and Macedonia, later splitting operations betweenBatum andConstantinople with theAirco D.H.9 andSopwith Camel, before disbanding in 1919. Reformed in 1924 as a fighter squadron, it flew various aircraft in theBattle of Britain. In 1942, it deployed to Burma, conducting ground attacks and later operated theSupermarine Spitfire in Burma and Japan until 1948. During theCold War it carried out several roles including photographic reconnaissance flying theElectric Canberra PR.7 from Germany (1956–1969) and ground-attack flying theMcDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 andSEPECAT Jaguar GR1 (1970–1985). It later took part in the 1991Gulf War flying thePanavia Tornado GR1. Disbanded in 1999, it reformed in 2002 as theEurofighter Typhoon operational evaluation unit, before converting to the F-35B Lightning in 2013.
No. 17 Squadron formed for the first time on 1 February 1915 atFort Grange,Gosport as part of theRoyal Flying Corps. It was first equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c.[1] After an initial training period, the squadron embarked forEgypt in November and arrived on 11 December.[2] On 24 December, the squadron made its firstreconnaissance flight over the Turkish lines inSinai, also flying in support of troops engaged with Turkish army units in theWestern Desert. Detachments were also to be found inArabia until July 1916, when the squadron was sent toSalonika as a mixed unit of twelve B.E.2c for reconnaissance and a scout component of twoAirco D.H.2 and threeBristol Scouts. At first it was the only flying corps unit inMacedonia, but was later joined by others in April 1918, handing over its fighters to a newly formedNo. 150 Squadron. For the rest of the war, it was engaged in tactical reconnaissance and artillery spotting on the Bulgarian border.[3]
In December 1918, No. 17 Squadron re-equipped with twelveAirco D.H.9 and sixSopwith Camels, sending 'A Flight' toBatum to support theWhite Russian forces and 'B' and 'C Flights' toConstantinople in January 1919. On 14 November 1919, the squadron disbanded.[2]
The squadron reformed atRAF Hawkinge in Kent on 1 April 1924 and was equipped with theSopwith Snipe. From this point until the outbreak of theSecond World War, it formed part of the fighter defence of the UK. The squadron converted to theHawker Woodcock in March 1926, one of only two squadrons to operate it – the other beingNo. 3 Squadron. In June 1927, a Woodcock from No. 17 Squadron was borrowed byCharles Lindbergh, the pilot of theSpirit of St. Louis, who flew it from London to Paris shortly after his transatlantic flight.[4] In January 1928, the squadron converted to theGloster Gamecock, however these were only kept until September when they were exchanged for theArmstrong Whitworth Siskin.[5]
No. 17 Squadron re-equipped with theBristol Bulldog Mk.II in October 1929, which were kept until August 1936. However, during theAbyssinian Crisis in 1935, the squadron lost most of its Bulldogs as reinforcements for other squadrons moving to the Middle East, so had to fly theHawker Hart for a period. The squadron were equipped with theGloster Gauntlet in August 1936.[6]
In June 1939, No. 17 Squadron received its first monoplane, theHawker Hurricane Mk.I.[6] Until theGerman attack on France in May 1940, it flew defensive patrols from numerous bases in Britain, includingRAF Debden in Essex andRAF Martlesham Heath in Suffolk,[7][8] Once thePhony War was over, fighter sweeps were then flown over the Netherlands, Belgium and French airfields to cover the retreat of allied troops. In June 1940, the squadron moved toBrittany as the remnants of theBritish Expeditionary Force and RAF units in France were evacuated, retiring to theChannel Islands for two days before returning to the UK. The squadron flew over southern England throughout theBattle of Britain. It briefly upgraded to theHawker Hurricane Mk.IIa in February 1941, however they shortly reverted to the Hurricane Mk.I in April.[6] The squadron moved toRAF Castletown inCaithness on 5 April for rest.[9] In July 1941 the Squadron again upgraded its Hurricanes, this time to the Mk.IIb.[6]
On 11 November 1941, No. 17 Squadron sailed for theFar East where war broke out on 7 December.[9] Diverted toBurma, it arrived in January 1942, as Japanese troops nearedRangoon. Defensive patrols were flown until the Rangoon airfields were overrun and the squadron moved north, eventually being cut off from India while operating fromLashio. The surviving aircraft were flown out and the ground personnel made their way across Burma to the Indian border. By the end of May, the squadron had re-assembled atCalcutta and in June received aircraft again for the defence of the area. In August 1942, it upgraded to the Hurricane Mk.IIc.[6] Ground attack missions began in February 1943 and continued until August, when the squadron moved toCeylon. TheSupermarine Spitfire Mk. VIII began to arrive in March 1944 and were taken back to the Burma front in November to fly escort and ground attack missions. In June 1945, the squadron upgraded to the Spitfire Mk.XIVe.[6] The squadron was withdrawn from Burma to prepare for the invasion ofMalaya. However, due to theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they were taken by theRoyal Navy aircraft carrierHMS Trumpeter to the landing beaches nearPenang in early September, soon after the Japanese capitulation.[2][10]
In April 1946, No. 17 Squadron arrived in Japan to form part of theBritish Commonwealth Occupation Force. The squadron remained there until it disbanded on 23 February 1948.[2] However it shortly reformed on 11 February 1949 atRAF Chivenor in Devon whenNo. 691 Squadron was renumbered as No. 17 Squadron.[11] The squadron adopted No. 691 Squadron's role of being ananti-aircraft co-operation unit. During this time the Squadron flew a mixture of aircraft including the Spitfire LF.XVIe and target tugs:Airspeed Oxford T.II;Miles Martinet TT.I;North American Harvard TT.IIb; andBristol Beaufighter TT.X.[6] The squadron continued this role until it disbanded once again on 13 March 1951.[2]
No. 17 Squadron reformed atRAF Wahn in West Germany on 1 June 1956, operating theEnglish Electric Canberra PR.7 in thephoto reconnaissance role.[2] The squadron moved toRAF Wildenrath in April 1957 before standing down on 31 December 1969. It stood up once more on 1 September 1970 atRAF Brüggen, this time flying theMcDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 in the ground attack role. It was also assigned to NATO'sSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in which the Phantoms held a tactical nuclear strike role, carrying American supplied nuclear weapons.[12][13]
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In September 1975, No. 17 Squadron began to convert to theSEPECAT Jaguar GR1.[2] It was fully re-equipped with twelve Jaguar GR1 by 31 January 1976. It continued the nuclear strike role until 1984, being assigned to SACEUR, but this time carrying the BritishWE.177 nuclear weapon.[14][15] The squadron's task was to support land forces in a high-intensity European war using conventional weapons initially, and tactical nuclear weapons if a conflict escalated. Some aircraft were to be held back in reserve from the conventional phase to ensure that sufficient aircraft survived the conventional phase to deliver the squadron's full stock of eight nuclear weapons.[16]
Still at RAF Brüggen, No. 17 Squadron began to convert to thePanavia Tornado GR1 in January 1985. It reached full strength of twelve aircraft by 1 March when the squadron's last Jaguars were withdrawn.[2] The squadron at this time also had eighteen WE.177 nuclear bombs, and although the squadron's role remained unchanged, it's Tornado aircraft were each able to carry two bombs, with the ratio of weapons to aircraft at full strength increasing to 1.5 : 1.[17]
During theFirst Gulf War in 1991, No. 17 Squadron engineers were deployed toMuharraq Airfield inBahrain, and also had crews sent toDhahran Airfield in Saudi Arabia.[18] At Muharraq, its twelve Tornado GR1 were split between three flight lines nicknamed 'Snoopy AirWays', 'Triffid Airways' and 'Gulf Airways'. Tornado operations, as part ofOperation Granby, began on 17 January 1991 to assertair superiority over Iraq. The Squadron suffered a loss on 24 January when a Tornado GR.1 (ZA403) was rocked by an explosion forcing the pilot (Flying Officer. S. J. Burgess) and navigator (Squadron Leader R. Ankerson) toeject. Both crew members were captured and were held asprisoners of war until the end of the conflict. An investigation after the war of the wreckage andflight recorder determined that one of the 1,000lb bombs dropped had detonated prematurely thus causing extensive damage to the Tornado.[19] No. 17 Squadron suffered its second loss on 14 February when a Tornado GR1 (ZD717) carrying outlaser-guided bomb attacks on an Iraqi airfield was forced down by two Iraqisurface-to-air-missiles which exploded in close proximity to the aircraft. The pilot (Flight Lieutenant R. J. Clark) initiated ejection for himself and his navigator (Flt. Lt. S. M. Hicks). On landing Clark was captured by Iraqi forces and was held as a prisoners for the rest of the war. It was only after his capture that he learned his navigator Hicks had been killed in the attack.[19]
Returning to RAF Brüggen, No. 17 Squadron continued its nuclear strike role up until the retirement of the WE.177, with it finally relinquishing its nuclear delivery capability fully in 1998.[20] With the end of the Cold War and thereunification of Germany, the RAF planned to reduce its presence in Germany by half, and by 1996 a final decision was made to withdraw the entire RAF presence from the country. Due to theStrategic Defence Review of 1998, it two RAF squadrons were withdrawn, one of which was No. 17 Squadron. The squadron disbanded on 31 March 1999, ending almost 30 years at RAF Brüggen.[2]
No. 17 Squadron reformed on 1 September 2002 as No. 17 (Reserve) Squadron at theBAE Systems operatedWarton Aerodrome in Lancashire At Warton, a special facility had been constructed to specially operate the newEurofighter Typhoon T1 and F2. No. 17 (R) Squadron was tasked with being theoperational evaluation unit (OEU), or alternatively the Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit (TOEU), for the type, becoming the first in the RAF to operate it.[21]
The squadron relocated toRAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on 1 April 2005 and was officially re-formed at its new base on 19 May 2005.[22] With the Typhoon fully operational, the need for the separate OEU ended and so the squadron was disbanded on 12 April 2013.[23] Its functions were taken over by the RAF's test and evaluation squadron,No. 41 (R) Squadron.[24]
The squadron stood up atEdwards Air Force Base, California, on 12 April 2013 as a joint RAF andRoyal Navy test and evaluation squadron for the newLockheed Martin F-35B Lightning.[25] In January 2014, it became the first UK, and RAF, squadron to operate the F-35B Lightning, with BK-1 (ZM135) being the first British aircraft. In February 2015, the Squadron celebrated its centenary.[26]
No. 17 (Reserve) Test and Evaluation Squadron lost its (reserve) suffix on 1 February 2018 when the (Reserve) nameplate was rescinded across the entire RAF, thus becoming No. 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron.[27]
No. 17 Squadron is made up of half RAF and half Royal Navy personnel, as well as training personnel forNo. 617 Squadron andNo. 207 Squadron; the second and third RAF squadrons to operate the F-35B in 2018 and 2019. Equipped with three F-35B aircraft and is tasked with the full-time operational test and evaluation of the F-35B, required to bring the aircraft and its weapons into UK service. It is the UK element of the Joint Operational Test Team for the F-35 at Edwards AFB, flying operational test sorties alongside all variants from theUS Air Force,US Navy,US Marine Corps andRoyal Netherlands Air Force, being embedded with the461st Flight Test Squadron of the US Air Force.[28]
The squadron embarked their three F-35Bs uponHMS Queen Elizabeth on 13 October 2019 as part of Exercise Westlant 19, becoming the first British jets to land on the carrier.[29]
Thesquadron's heraldic badge features agauntlet which represents theGloster Gauntlet fighter which the squadron operated when the badge was approved byKing Edward VIII in October 1936.[30]
The squadron's motto isExcellere Contende (Latin for 'Strive to excel').[31]
No. 17 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.[32]
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