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Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS Heron) is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovilmarker in Somersetmarker. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases and is currently home to the Royal Navy's Lynx helicopters and the Royal Marines Commando Westland Sea Kings.

The site consists of of airfield sites plus ranges and minor estates. Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton is a large multi-role air station with an annual budget of some £61 million. The facility also serves as home to the Fleet Air Arm Museummarker.

History

Work began in 1939 on the construction of the site, with the runways being completed in 1941. The Naval Observer School moved to HMS HERON in mid 1940, with the Naval Air Fighter School soon following. Several units which were preparing for embarkation were also stationed at the site during World War II. The runways were further extended in 1952 and 1957 to cope with jet aircraft. In May 1953 it became the headquarters of Flag Officer Flying Training.

During the 1960s further development work was undertaken, with the School of Fighter Direction returning to the site and the Sea Venoms being replaced by the de Havilland Sea Vixens then in turn by the McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FG.1 as a carrier-borne fighter. The 1970s saw the Flag Officer, Naval Air Command (FONAC), transferring from RNAS Lee-on-Solentmarker. Royal Navy fixed wing operations were phased out, and the Phantoms transferred to the RAF. The base remained as the home of the Commando Helicopter Squadrons, using the Wessex HU.5 and later the Sea King HC.4, and the fixed wing Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU) and became the main shore base for the Navy's fleet of Sea Harrier FRS.1 (and later, FA.2s). A ski-jump (now removed) was installed to enable practice of ski-jump assisted take-offs.

In July 2006 Sea King HC.4 helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton were deployed to Cyprus on Operation Highbrow to assist with the evacuation of British citizens from Lebanon. Following the closure of RNAS Portlandmarker (HMS Osprey) in 1999, HMS Heron became the main shore base for the Lynx fleet.

Current operations

It is home to Royal Navy (RN) Lynx helicopters and RN Commando Helicopter Force and until April 2006 BAE Sea Harrier FA2s. RNAS Yeovilton operates over 100 aircraft of four different types and is manned by around 1675 service and 2000 civilian personnel including MoD employees and permanent contractors. Training of aircrew and engineers of resident aircraft types is also carried out at Yeovilton. It is also the location for the RN Fighter Controller School, training surface based aircraft controllers.

During periods of busy flying training, pressure on the Yeovilton circuit is relieved by the use of RNAS Merryfieldmarker, nearby.

FA2 Sea Harriers are no longer present, 800 Naval Air Squadron, 801 Naval Air Squadron and 899 Naval Air Squadron have disbanded and are now operating RAF GR7/GR9 aircraft until the replacement F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft now termed the Joint Combat Aircraft is due to enter service in 2012 (although the latter date is likely to be delayed).

Operations Units



See also



References

  • Mike Verier Yeovilton: Defenders of the Fleet, 1991, Osprey Superbase Series no. 22, 128pp, ISBN 1-85532-138-6


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