RAF Patch 3 Fighter Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Harrier GR7 b

RAF Patch 3 F Fighter Squadron Royal Air Force Flying Suit Crest Queens Crown 1999 VSTOL Harrier GR 7 RAF Laarbruch Germany Embroidered on twill merrowed edge

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Squadron history 

3 Fighter Squadron ended WWII in Germany equipped with Tempest fighters as part of Second Tactical Air Force reequipping with Vampire jet fighters in 1948. The Squadron reequipped with Sabre fighters in 1953 then Hunter fighters in 1956 and then Javelin fighters before converting to Canberra bombers at RAF Geilenkirchen West Germany and retasking for low level tactical nuclear strike tasking US owned Mark 7 nuclear bombs. 3 Squadron upgraded it munitions to US owned B 43 nuclear bombs in 1965 and relocated to RAF Laarbruch in January 1968.

The Squadron reformed at RAF Wildenrath in January 1972 joining 4 and 20 Squadrons equipped with Harrier GR 1A VSTOL vertical take off and landing fighter aircraft for close air support tasking. 3 Fighter Squadron relocated to RAF Laarbruch and upgraded to GR 3 Harrier aircraft in March 1977. The Squadron provided a number of pilots and personnel to 1 F Squadron for Operation Corporate to retake the Falkland Islands back from the Argentinians in 1982. Harrier GR 5 aircraft were received in May 1989. The Squadron upgraded to Harrier GR 7 aircraft in February 1992 and relocated to RAF Laarbruch. 

With the drawdown of the RAF in Germany following the end of the Cold War and the closure of RAF Laarbruch 3 Squadron moved back to the UK locating to RAF Cottesmore along with its sister squadron No IV AC Squadron RAF in 1999. Training commenced for deployments from Royal Navy carriers in anticipation of Joint Force 2000 the combining of the RAF and RN Harrier units under a joint command. The Squadron deployed to Gioia del Colle AB Italy for combat missions in support of Operation Allied Force over Kosovo in 1999.

Joint Force Harrier was activated on 1 April 2000 with 3 Fighter Squadron joining 1 F 4 AC and 20 R Harrier OCU with Harrier GR 7s combining with the Royal Navys 800 and 801 Naval Air Squadrons with Sea Harrier FA2 under a single command structure within RAF Strike Command to be deployable from both Invincible class aircraft carriers Royal Air Force stations and forward operational air bases. The Squadron undertook Operation Palliser over Sierra Leone in 2000 and Operation Telic over Iraq in 2003. 3 F Squadron upgraded to GR7A in 2004 and deployed 6 Harriers to Afghanistan in support of NATO forces In August 2004.

The Squadron with its Harriers relocated to RAF Coningsby in early 2006 before being reestablished as the first operational front line RAF Squadron equipped with Typhoon F2 fighter aircraft on 1 April 2006 being declared operational in 2007. 3 Squadron deployed to Southern Italy to take part in Operation Ellamy over Libya In March 2011 and received Typhoon FGR 4 aircraft in June 2011. The Squadron celebrated its 100 Year anniversary in 2012 and deployed four Typhoons to RAF Northolt in May 2012 to provide air defence QRA alert for the Olympic Games undertaking a number of Mach 1+ intercepts of suspicious aircraft.

This patch dates from 999.