No. 16 Squadron RAF
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| No. 16 Squadron RAF | |
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| Active | 10 February 1915 |
| Motto | "Operta aperta" (Hidden things are revealed) |
| Battle honours | Western Front 1915-1918, Neuve Chappelle, Loos, Somme 1916, Arras, Ypres 1917, France and Low Countries 1940, Dunkirk, Fortress Europe 1943-1944, France and Germany 1944, Normandy 1944, Arnhem, Ruhr 1944-1945, Gulf 1991 |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
Two keys in saltire. The badge symbolises army co-operation duties, the keys indicating the unlocking of the enemy's secrets, the gold key by day, the black key by night |
No. 16 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed at St Omer, France on 10 May 1915. It immediately began fighting in World War I under Hugh Dowding, and the squadron would also participate in World War II and the Persian Gulf War. Recently (until March 2005), the unit operated SEPECAT Jaguar GR3s from RAF Coltishall. As 16 (Reserve) Sqn, it was the RAF's Operational Conversion Unit for the Jaguar. The OCU taught pilots how to fly the aircraft and what tactics to use to best exploit the performance of their aircraft and its weapons. The Jaguar is scheduled to be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service.
[edit] Previous Aircraft Operated
- Voisin
- Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2
- Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
- Maurice Farman S.11
- Bristol F.2 Fighter
- Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
- Hawker Audax
- Westland Lysander
- P-51 Mustang
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Hawker Tempest
- de Havilland Vampire (1948–1954)
- de Havilland Venom (1954–1957)
- English Electric Canberra (1958–1972)
- Blackburn Buccaneer (1972–1984)
- Panavia Tornado GR.1 (1984–1991)
- SEPECAT Jaguar (1991–2005)
[edit] See also
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