#1765 845 NAS Merlin HC4 print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1765 - ZJ121 'E', Merlin HC4, 845 NAS, RNAS Yeovilton.
845 Naval Air Squadron was commissioned as a torpedo, bomber and reconnaissance squadron in 1943 and operated Wildcat and Avenger aircraft in the Far East during World War II. Since it was reformed with Whirlwinds in 1955 it has remained as a helicopter squadron operating subsequently Wessex HAS5 and Sea King HC4 aircraft. 845 NAS saw action in Malaya, Suez, the Gulf of Oman, Brunei, Borneo and Aden. In 1982, the Squadron deployed with the Task Force and played a key role in the recapture of the Falkland Islands, and during the Gulf War in 1991, it saw action in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. 845 NAS continued to demonstrate the versatility of the Commando Squadrons with service in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Oman. In March 2003, during the Iraq War in one of the first coalition actions of the conflict, 845 NAS carried out the night insertion of 40 Commando Royal Marines to secure the oil installations on the Al Faw peninsular in southern Iraq, in what was the largest aviation raid since Suez. The Squadron subsequently deployed to Afghanistan until the draw down in 2014 after 7 years of continuous operations. In July 2015, 845 NAS stood up with the former RAF Merlin HC3/3A. These were optimised for use at sea and significantly upgraded to the Commando Merlin HC4 standard in 2018 with 845 NAS the first to receive and then subsequently deploy the upgraded aircraft. The Squadron operates globally in support of UK Defence aims, primarily in support of the UK Commando Force in the Amphibious, Mountainous, Desert and Arctic Warfare environments.
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