No. 11 orXI Squadron (sometimes featuring an 'F' to represent its historic fighter role (No. 11(F) orXI(F) Squadron)), is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit"^[1] and continues the traditions established by the similarly numberedRoyal Flying Corps squadron, established in 1915. The squadron most recently operated thePanavia Tornado F3 until 2005 when it was disbanded. It was reactivated in 2006 to operate theTyphoon F2, receiving its first aircraft on 9 October 2006.^[2]

No. 11 Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	1915–1918 (RFC) 1918–1919 1923–1948 1948–1957 1959–1966 1967–2005 2007–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Multi–role combat
Part of	No. 1 Group RAF
Station	RAF Coningsby
Motto(s)	Ociores acrioresque aquilis (Latin for 'Swifter and keener than eagles')
March	Marching Through Georgia
Aircraft	Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4
Insignia
Squadron tail badge
Squadron roundel
Aircraft tail codes	DA-DZ

No. 11 Squadron of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed atNetheravon inWiltshire on 14 February 1915 for "fighting duties", receiving two-seatpusherVickers F.B.5 Gunbus fighters in June, and deploying to France on 25 July 1915.^[3] It was the first squadron solely equipped with fighters to deploy with the RFC,^[4] or with any flying service.^[5]

The squadron's Gunbusses were soon pressed into service, withCaptainLionel Rees claiming the squadron's first air-to-air victory on 28 July, forcing down a German observation aircraft.^[5]Second LieutenantG. S. M. Insall was awarded aVictoria Cross for an action on 7 November 1915 in which he forced down and destroyed a GermanAviatik observation aircraft.^[6] The Gunbus was already obsolete however, and was initially supplemented by a mixture ofBristol Scouts andNieuport 16s until replaced in June 1916 by theRoyal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b of similar layout, but slightly higher performance.^[7] These in turn were replaced byBristol F.2 Fighters in August 1917, these being used both for offensive patrols over German-held territory and for ground attack for the remainder of the war. The squadron was disbanded at the end of 1919.^[8]

The squadron had nineteenflying aces in its ranks during the war. Among them were Victoria Cross winnerLionel Rees, as well asAndrew Edward McKeever,John Stanley Chick,Eugene Coler,Albert Ball VC,Frederick Libby,Ronald Maudit,John Quested,Herbert Sellars,Donald Beard,Stephen Price andHugh HayThomas Frederick Stephenson.^[9]

No. 11 Squadron reformed atRAF Andover in Hampshire in January 1923 as a day bomber squadron equipped with theAirco DH.9A, soon moving toRAF Bircham Newton inNorfolk. In April 1924, the DH.9A was replaced by theFairey Fawn, despite the fact that they offered little improvement in performance over the DH.9A, moving with them toRAF Netheravon in May that year. The unpopular Fawns were replaced by theHawker Horsley in November 1926, in use until December 1928, when the squadron handed the Horsleys toNo. 100 Squadron. The squadron was posted toRisalpur in India (now in Pakistan), flyingWestland Wapitis in the army co-operation role and carried out punitive air raids against rebelling tribal forces.^[8][10] The Wapiti was replaced with theHawker Hart in February 1932, operations continuing as before.^[8] On 31 May 1935, anearthquake devastated the city ofQuetta and the surrounding area. No. 11 Squadron, along with other RAF squadrons in the region, were used to aid the relief effort following the disaster.^[11]

No. 11 Squadron receivedBristol Blenheim Mk.I monoplane bombers in July 1939, moving toSingapore the next month, just before the outbreak of theSecond World War in Europe.^[8]

In April 1940, the squadron moved to India, and was briefly based atKarachi before it was transferred toAden due to the increasing likelihood of war with Italy.^[12][13] The first of the squadron's Blenheims reached Aden on 19 June 1940, nine days after Italy declared war on Britain,^[14] and flew its first combat mission of the war on 19 June.^[15] The squadron was heavily engaged in the early months of theEastern Africa campaign, attacking Italian targets inItalian East Africa.^[12][16] In December 1940, the squadron moved to Egypt to support the upcoming British offensive in theWestern Desert, known asOperation Compass,^[17] with the squadron being based atHelwan, nearCairo, with a forward detachment atFuka to support the offensive.^[18]

In January 1941, the squadron reinforced the RAF squadrons in Greece, fighting in theGreek Campaign against the Italians, partly re-equipping with newer the Blenheim Mk.IV fromNo. 39 Squadron before leaving for Greece, arriving atLarissa on 28 January.^[19][20] On the night of 28 February and 1 March 1941, Larissa was hit by a powerful earthquake, badly damaging both the airfield and the town. Personnel of the Larissa-based squadrons spent the rest of the night rescuing people trapped in collapsed buildings.^[21] In March, the squadron joined the newly-established 'E' (Eastern) Wing for operations overThessaliniki.^[22] On 6 April 1941, Germany launched aninvasion of Yugoslavia andGreece.^[23] The squadron's Blenheims were employed on attacks on columns of German troops in Yugoslavia,^[24] but by 16 April, to avoid the German advance the squadron withdrew fromAlmyros toAcharnes.^[25] The few surviving aircraft and crews were evacuated toCrete and then to Egypt.^[26] and from there on toAqir,Palestine where the squadron rebuilt its strength, becoming operational again on 28 May 1941.^[27][28]

After reforming, the squadron served in theSyrian Campaign against theVichy French,^[12] attacking airfields by day and night.^[29] On 22 June 1941, the squadron's aircraft bombed and damaged the French destroyer Vauquelin.^[30] In August that year the squadron moved toHabbaniya in Iraq,^[12] and on 26 August, took part in theAnglo-Soviet operation to secure thePersian oilfields for the Allies, although it only dropped leaflets.^[31] After returning to Egypt the squadron took part inOperation Crusader.^[32]

Redeployed toColombo, Ceylon in early 1942, the squadron was involved in attacks on Japanese shipping. During 1943, the squadron re-equipped with theHawker Hurricane and moved toBurma in theground attack role, supporting theFourteenth Army.^[33]

By January 1943,Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel, or Australians serving in the RAF, made up almost 90% of the aircrews in the squadron. This was despite it not officially being an RAAFArticle XV squadron. At the time, the Australian personnel included the commanding officer,Wing Commander Harley Stumm.^[34]

No. 11 Squadron was one of the few RAF squadrons to fight against Italian, German, Vichy French and Japanese forces.^[35]

No. 11 Squadron formed part of theoccupation forces in Japan from August 1945 to February 1948, when it disbanded. Reforming inGermany during October 1949, they flew thede Havilland Mosquito,de Havilland Vampire andde Havilland Venom. The squadron again disbanded in 1957, but reformed in January 1959 with theGloster Meteornight fighter. TheGloster Javelin replaced the Meteor a year later when the squadron was based atRAF Geilenkirchen in West Germany. It was equipped with the Javelin until it was disbanded in 1966.^[35]

Reforming in early 1967, the squadron spent the next 21 years flying theEnglish Electric Lightning, until May 1988.^[35] By that time it was one of the last two squadrons equipped with the Lightning and was based atRAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire.^[36]

From August 1988, the squadron operated the twin-seatPanavia Tornado F3 fromRAF Leeming.^[33]

In February 2003, several of No. 11 Squadron's Tornados were modified to carry theALARM anti-radiation missile (and unofficially designated as the Tornado EF3) to widen their capabilities to includesuppression of enemy air defences (SEAD).^[37][38] The squadron disbanded in October 2005 as part of defence reforms following the publication of theDelivering Security in a Changing World: Future Capabilities study by the Ministry of Defence in July 2004.^[33]

The RAF announced that No. 11 Squadron would be the second frontline squadron to re-equip with theEurofighter Typhoon but would now be based atRAF Coningsby. The squadron reformed at Coningsby on 29 March 2007, dropping the (F) designation in recognition of its new tasking as the lead Typhoon multi-role squadron. In March 2011, the squadron deployed toGioia Del Colle Air Base in Italy, to help police the no-fly zone imposed byUN Security Council Resolution 1973 over Libya as part ofOperation Ellamy, assisted byNo. 29(R) Squadron personnel and aircraft and further aircraft fromNo. 3 Squadron.^[39]

In 2013, the squadron deployed to the Mediterranean again, this timeRAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, as part ofNo. 121 Expeditionary Air Wing, providing air defence of Cyprus as part of Operation Luminous.^[40]

No. 11 Squadron resumed the use of its '(F)' fighter status during its centenary year, with celebrations taking place on 7 and 8 May 2015 in the form of a formal dinner with the Squadron Association, and a parade with flypast.^[41]

During February 2018, the squadron participated inExercise Red Flag 18-1, the world's largest and most complex air combat exercise run by theUS Air Force. For the duration of the exercise the squadron's Typhoons operated fromNellis Air Force Base inNevada.^[42]

During November 2023, the squadron participated in Exercise Ferocious Falcon V, a Qatari led exercise.^[43]

List of aircraft operated by No. 11 Squadron:^[44]

Twoeagles in flight are featured on thesquadron's badge. The eagles represent speed and strength. There are two birds to reflect the two-seater aircraft which the squadron flew during the First World War. The badge was approved in May 1937.^[45][46]

The squadron's motto isOciores acrioresque aquilis (Latin for 'Swifter and keener than eagles').^[47]

The squadron's song is to the tune of theAmerican Civil War-eraMarching Through Georgia.^[48]

No. 11 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.^[49]

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

• Ashworth, Chris (1989).Encyclopedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stevens Limited.ISBN 1-85260-013-6.
• Bruce, J. M. (April–July 1980). "Vickers' First Fighters".Air Enthusiast. No. 12. pp. 54–70.ISSN 0143-5450.
• Dear, I. C. B. (1995). "Balkan campaign". In Dear, I. C. B.; Foot, M. R. D. (eds.).The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press. pp. 102–106.ISBN 0-19-866225-4.
• Delve, Ken (1985).The Winged Bomb: History of 39 Squadron RAF. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications.ISBN 0-904597-56-3.
• Franks, Norman (2000).Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Aircraft of the Aces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.ISBN 1-85532-961-1.
• Guttman, Jon (2009).Pusher Aces of World War 1. Aircraft of the Aces. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited.ISBN 978-1-84603-417-6.
• Halley, James J. (1980).The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.ISBN 0-85130-083-9.
• Hunter, Jamie (2004). "Panavia Tornado: Rebirth of the MRCA".International Air Power Review. Vol. 13. Norwalk, Connecticut, US: Airtime Publishing. pp. 46–79.ISBN 1-880588-84-6.ISSN 1473-9917.
• Jones, H. A. (1928).The War in the Air: Being the Story of the part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force: Vol. II. History of the Great War. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.
• Lewis, Peter (1959).Squadron Histories: R.F.C, R.N.A.S and R.A.F., 1912–59. London: Putnam.
• Moyes, Philip (1964).Bomber Squadrons of the R.A.F. And Their Aircraft. London: Macdonald.
• Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1987).Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940–41. London: Grub Street.ISBN 0-948817-07-0.
• Shores, Christopher (1996).Dust Clouds in the Middle East: The Air War in East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940–1942. London: Grub Street.ISBN 1-898697-37-X.
• Shores, Chris; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012).A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume One: North Africa June 1940–January 1942. London: Grub Street.ISBN 978-1-908117-07-6.
• Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990).Above The Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London: Grub Street.ISBN 0-948817-19-4.
• Warner, Graham.The Bristol Blenheim: A complete history 2nd Edition. Crecy Publishing, 2005.ISBN 0-85979-101-7.

• No. 11 Squadron on RAF website
• XI Squadron Association