#1773 13 Sqn, MQ-9 Reaper print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1773 - ZZ210, MQ-9 Reaper, XIII Squadron, RAF Waddington.
No. XIII Squadron formed at Gosport 10 January 1915 and operated BE 2Cs in France on Army co-operation duties (observation and photographic reconnaissance). During the Battle of the Somme, XIII became one of the first to bomb in formation. XIII then received RE 8s and the main role continued to be photographic duties. In March 1919, XIII returned to the UK but was disbanded at Sedgeford on 31 December. XIII reformed at Kenley on 1 April 1924 with Bristol F 2B Fighters. During the inter-war years, XIII flew Atlas Is, Audaxes and Hectors from various bases in England. In January 1939, XIII now equipped with Lysanders, deployed to France before returning to England in May 1940. XIII crews subsequently flew Blenheim IVs from July 1941 and the upgraded Blenheim Vs from September 1942. XIII moved to North Africa in November 1942, flying anti-shipping raids and was re-equipped with Ventura Vs in October 1943. A move to Egypt followed in December where XIII received Martin Baltimores in January 1944 and Bostons in October. In September 1945, XIII moved to Greece where it once again disbanded on 19 April 1946, reforming in Egypt on 1 September 1946 equipped with Mosquito PR34s. XIII primarily flew photographic survey sorties, assisting in the mapping of North Africa, Arabia, the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Rhodesia. Meteor PR10s replaced the Mosquitoes in January 1952 and XIII moved to Akrotiri, Cyprus in February 1956. XIII re-equipped with Canberra PR7s in May 1956 and flew operationally in the Suez campaign. XIII also flew the Canberra PR9 from August 1961 until October 1976. In October 1972, XIII re-located to Luqa in Malta before returning to RAF Wyton in October 1978 until it’s disbandment in January 1982. XIII Squadron reformed at Honington on 1 January 1990 equipped with Tornado GR1As, operating in the tactical reconnaissance and ground-attack roles. In 1991, XIII took part in Operation DESERT STORM to assist the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation forces. XIII operated from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, flying a mixture of reconnaissance and laser designation missions. In the years following the Gulf conflict, XIII undertook regular deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey to fly a mixture of reconnaissance and attack missions over the Northern and Southern Iraqi No-Fly zones. On February 1994, XIII moved to Marham and became the first reconnaissance squadron to receive the Tornado GR4A in June 1998. In March 2003, XIII crews once again flew in conflict over Iraq as part of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The crews operated from Kuwait and flew a mixture of low-altitude Scud-hunting missions and medium-altitude Close Air Support (CAS), air interdiction and reconnaissance missions. Since the conflict, XIII continued to play a leading role in furthering the Close Air Support and reconnaissance capabilities of the Tornado Force. On 31 May 2009 XIII flew the last operational Tornado GR4 sortie over Iraq bringing an end to the TGRF’s involvement in Operation TELIC. In July 2010 XIII undertook its inaugural deployment in support of Operation HERRICK during which XIII flew close air support and reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan in support of Coalition and ANSF troops. It was during this detachment that XIII achieved an RAF 1st by employing Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone against an operational moving target for the first time in the weapon’s service history. After a short respite XIII was back in action over Libya employing the Stormshadow Missile in its role during Operation ELLAMY during which XIII were involved in some of the longest bombing missions from the United Kingdom since World War II. As a result of the Strategic Defence Spending Review in 2010 XIII was disbanded on the 1 June 2011. XIII reformed at RAF Waddington on 20 August 2012, becoming the RAF’s first UK-based Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) unit equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper. XIII provided persistent combat ISTAR in support of ISAF within Afghanistan, acting as the eyes and ears of commanders on the ground. Utilising an array of high tech sensors and precision guided weapons, rarely before has XIII Squadrons motto, ‘we assist by watching’, been more appropriate.