RAF Patch j 17 Squadron Royal Air Force Tornado GR 1 Strike a

RAF Patch 17 Squadron Royal Air Force Black Knights Ops Tornado GR 1 Strike Attack Cold War 1986 RAF Bruggen West Germany Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 98mm by 70mm three and seven eighth inches by two and three quarter inches.

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Badge  A gauntlet. The badge symbolises armed strength and also commemorates the type of aircraft the squadron was flying when the badge was awarded.  

Motto  Excellere contende Latin Strive to excel. 

Squadron history 1949 2015 

17 Squadron reactivated at RAF Chivenor on 11 February 1949 equipped with Spitfire Harvard and Martinet aircraft on the renumbering of 691 Squadron for anti aircraft cooperation duties and was disbanded on 13 March 1951 with its duties taken on by 3 CAACU.  

17 Squadron reformed at RAF Wahn West Germany on 1 June 1956 equipped with Canberra recce aircraft tasked with photographic reconnaissance and disbanded on 31 December 1969. On 1 September 1970 the Squadron reactivated at RAF Bruggen West Germany with Phantom II F 4s in the strike attack role. The Squadron reequipped with Jaguar strike attack aircraft in September 1975 with the last Phantom leaving in December 1975 and the Squadron was assigned to SACEUR for tactical strike attack with conventional and tactical nuclear weapons to support land forces in a high intensity European war.  

In January 1985 the Squadron began to convert to Tornado GR1s with the Jaguar element disbanding on 1 March 1985 when 17 Squadron became fully equipped with Tornados. The Squadron deployed to Al Muharraq AB Bahrain in November 1990 as part of XV Composite Squadron for Operation Granby following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and 1991. The Squadron undertook combat ground attack bombing missions from the start of Operation Desert Storm losing one aircraft and crew captured on the 24 January 1991 attack on Ar Rumaylah Air Base Iraq. The Squadron returned to RAF Bruggen in May 1991 with deployments to Muharraq continuing during the 1990s in support of Operation Southern Watch no fly missions over Iraq. 

17 Squadron disbanded in September 2002 following the end of the Cold War and the RAFs withdrawal from Germany. The Squadrons numberplate was immediately transferred to the new Eurofighter Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit as XVII Reserve Squadron formed to test and introduce the Typhoon into the RAF at BAE Systems Warton airfield where a special facility had been constructed. 17 Reserve Squadron Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit TOEU relocated to RAF Coningsby on 1 April 2005.  

With the Typhoon fully operational the requirement for a separate OEU ended and the Squadron disbanded on 12 April 2013 with its functions taken over by the Test and Evaluation Squadron 41 R Squadron.   

17 Squadron reformed at Edwards AFB California as the joint RAF RN Test and Evaluation Squadron for the F 35 Lightning II multi role aircraft on 12 April 2013. In February 2015 while celebrating its centenary the Squadron commenced operational testing with the first British F 35B BK 1 becoming the first non US operator of the Lightning II.  

This patch dates from 1986.