RAF Patch a 1 Fighter Squadron Royal Air Force Harrier GR 7 JF b

RAF Patch 1 Fighter Squadron Royal Air Force JFH Joint Force Harrier 2003 Harrier GR 7 RAF Cottesmore Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 80mm three and one eighth inches diameter.

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Squadron History

No 1 F Squadron became the worlds first operator of a VSTOL aircraft with the arrival of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR 1 in 1969 and was declared operational in 1970 at RAF Wittering. In 1981 a detachment from No 1 F Squadron was deployed on HMS Hermes with GR 3 aircraft for the Falklands War flying ground attack missions against Argentine forces. It replaced its GR 1 and GR 3 Harriers with Harrier IIs GR5 from 23 November 1988 and declared fully operational on the Harrier GR 5 on 2 November 1989.

No 1 Squadron left home of the Harrier RAF Wittering relocating to RAF Cottesmore on 28 July 2000 to establish Joint Force Harrier. RAF Cottesmore became the base for all operational RAF Harrier Squadrons. As part of Joint Force Harrier No 1 Squadron operated alongside the Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers and became operational for deployment from the Royal Navy aircraft carriers

In spring 2003 No 1 Squadron flew combat missions by day and night during Operation Telic the UK contribution to coalition war fighting operations in Iraq. In December 2004 the Squadron commenced regular deployment on Operation Herrick in support of coalition and ISAF operations in Afghanistan.

One outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review by the UK government in 2010 the decision was taken to remove the RAF’s Harriers out of service almost immediately. All Harrier units including No 1 Squadron ceased Harrier flying on 15 December 2010 and No 1 Squadron formally disbanded on 28 January 2011.

No 1 Squadron reformed at RAF Leuchars on 15 September 2012 equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon fighters tasked with UK Air Defence providing Quick Reaction Alert QRA for the North. With the transfer of the Typhoon force from RAF Leuchars to RAF Lossiemouth 1 F and 6 Squadrons relocated to RAF Lossiemouth in September 2014 with RAF Leuchars inactivated and transferred to the British Army on 31 March 2015 although a number of lodger RAF units remained.

This patch dates from 2003.