Royal Navy F-35B Fast Jet Squadron Deploys On The HMS Prince of Wales

For the first time in nearly 15 years a Royal Navy fast jet squadron is today operating from the flight deck of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier.
F-35B Lightning stealth fighters from 809 Naval Air Squadron, supported by their counterpart RAF Squadron 617, The Dambusters, have joined HMS Prince of Wales in the North Sea for a month of training – a key stepping stone for the squadron and the ship as both gear up to take part in an eight-month global deployment in 2025.

The fifth-generation jets made the short flight from their base at RAF Marham to the flattop where, over the coming weeks, some personnel will learn the art of operating from an aircraft carrier, while others will regenerate skills which have faded while working away from the sea.

For Commander Nick Smith the embarkation of the F-35Bs, supported by some 200 engineers, technicians, armourers, logistics and security experts, chefs, meteorologists among others, joining the 65,000-tonne warship is a milestone moment for the squadron, which only formed at the end of last year as the second of two UK front-line F-35B squadrons.

“This is a big moment for 809 Naval Air Squadron, a vital building block to working up with the carrier strike group in preparation for the deployment next year,” said Commander Smith.

“To be the commanding officer of a squadron with such a proud heritage is a huge privilege. We are still in our infancy forming as an F-35B squadron, so joining a carrier for the first time is truly a milestone.”

As with the two other Lightning formations based at Marham, 617 and 207 Squadrons, it draws its personnel roughly 50/50 from the RAF and Fleet Air Arm.

For three in every five personnel in 809 NAS – pilots, but especially their vital supporting ground crew – this is their first time at sea.

“For me, it’s about forging one team, embracing everything from operating from the flight deck to arming and maintaining the F-35s in the hangar.”

F-35 pilot Lieutenant Commander Armstrong said that while the Lightning was generations ahead of the Harrier which preceded it, operating it from a carrier remained a challenge.

To read more, visit the Royal Navy's website.