On 9 January 2015 the next chapter of II(AC) Squadron starts as one of the oldest Squadrons in the Royal Air Force swaps its Tornado GR4s for Eurofighter Typhoons.
Formed on 13 May 1912 at Farnborough, No. 2 Squadron was one of the first Royal Flying Corps Squadrons equipped with a mixture of fixed wing aircraft including Breguet G.3 biplanes, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1 and B.E.2s. During the First World War, No. 2 Squadron would be the first Royal Flying Corp Squadron to cross the English Channel where the Squadrons main objective was reconnaissance, something which it would continue throughout its history.
In the early 1920s, the Squadron acquired the titles Army Co-Operation (AC). This was gained by flying Army Co-Operation sorties during the Partition of Ireland with Bristol F.2b fighters. As the Second World War broke out, II(AC) Squadron operated in France with Westland Lysanders until Dunkirk after which the Squadron operated numerous fighter types including the Curtiss Tomahawk, North American Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire Mk.14. The Cold War brought II(AC) Squadron to Germany, where it operated a number of aircraft including Jaguar GR.1 and Phantom from RAF Laarbruch until 1990 when the Squadron returned to the UK to be based at RAF Marham with Tornado GR1/1A before upgrading to the Tornado GR4/4A in 1998.
II(AC) Squadron recently have been deployed to operate in the Iraq, Afghanistan and Libyan conflicts. The last operational deployment in Afghanistan for Shiny Two ended in May 2014 however almost right up until their transition to Typhoon they have been operating from Cyprus as part of Op Shader against ISIS.
News broke in December 2013 that No. II(AC) Squadron was to disband and reform with the Eurofighter Typhoon and be based at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray alongside the Typhoons of Numbers 1(F) and 6 Squadron. It was later announced that No. II(AC) Squadron would be reformed earlier than planned and that, in order to support ongoing operations such as those against ISIS, the old Tornado Squadron would become 12(B) Squadron and remain at RAF Marham to be led by the first ever female fast jet squadron commander Wing Commander Nikki Thomas. No. II(AC) Squadron will work up to take on the task of Northern QRA to protect the skies over Northern Britain against any unidentified aircraft entering UK airspace as the fifth operational Typhoon squadron in the RAF.
Rather disappointing low key markings
No mention of the Hunter FR10 and it’s achiements in Photo Recce competitions when in Germany
This article is really hot off the press and illustrated with your excellent photos Niall!