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814 Naval Air Squadron
Organisation / Units & Squadrons

814 Naval Air Squadron

Known throughout the Royal Navy as the ‘Flying Tigers’ due to their distinctive badge, 814 Naval Air Squadron use the fearsome Merlin helicopter to conduct anti-submarine warfare from the skies.

814

Role

Led by Commander Ed Holland and maintained to a constant state of high readiness, 814 Naval Air Squadron is a frontline squadron of Merlin Helicopter Force. It is by its nickname the ‘Flying Tigers’, for the fierce tiger motif on the nose of the aircraft.

Aircrew use the Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter, which is equipped with dipping sonar, sonobuoys and torpedoes, to locate, track and, if required, eliminate submarines.

The squadron is based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and comprises deployable flights of aircrew, engineers and support staff. Typically each flight is paired with a Royal Navy anti-submarine warfare frigate, although the squadron also operates from other warships and HMS Gannet at Prestwick in Scotland.

Their role is to ensure the freedom of navigation for UK forces and our allies in the north Atlantic, as well as protecting the country from maritime threats at home.

Merlin helicopter

Unit history

1938

Formation

We began life in December 1938 operating six legendary Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers.
1939

Outbreak of war

At the outbreak of war, 814 moved on to HMS Hermes, her limitations did not suit European seas, so she was mainly used for convoy protection in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
1940

North Africa

In July, Hermes‘ 814 NAS Swordfish attacked the Vichy French ship Richelieu at Dakar. Against heavy anti-aircraft fire the aircraft only managed one hit, battleship was disabled for over a year.
1942

Destruction of Hermes

In April while en route to the Indian Ocean from Trincomalee to the Maldives, Hermes was attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft. Luckily, the Swordfish of 814 NAS had left her earlier that month.
1944

New formation

The squadron formed up with Barracudas in 1944 to embark in HMS Venerable for the Far East. Post-war 814 adapted to a succession of Fireflys, Avengers and Gannets in the ASW role.
1960

The Whirlwind helicopter

In 1960 814 NAS welcomed its first rotary wing – the Whirlwind helicopter. From Whirlwind to Wessex, in 1967 the Wessex Mk3 brought the squadron its first radar-equipped ASW helicopter.
1973

Reformation

A brief lull saw the squadron out of commission between 1970 and 1973, before bursting back onto the scene in 1973 at HMS Gannet with the new Sea Kings ASW Mk1.
1976

A new base

It was in April 1976 that the squadron settled in Cornwall’s RNAS Culdrose – where it has remained to this day; although its aircraft have been through both reincarnations and total transformations.
1977

The new Mk 2 ASW sea king

The new Mk 2 ASW Sea King arrived in 1977 – after the squadron had played a role in the evacuation of Cyprus – and in addition 814 was the first Naval squadron fitted with passive sonar equipment.
1980

Decades of conflict

814 operated the Mk5 and Mk6 incarnations through the last two decades of the 20th Century. The Mk6 flew from carrier HMS Invincible during the Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts.
2000

A new millennium

814 marked the birth of the new millennium by disbanding in December 2000. But ten months later the Flying Tigers were back – the striped faces now borne (subtly) upon the Merlin HM1.
2014

A new chapter

In 2014 the Merlin HM Mk1 was retired. 814 NAS gave the Merlin HM Mk 1 her operational debut and deployed to the Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean and the Gulf across 14 years of service.
No datasource provided

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