No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment
Encyclopedia
No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment
in the Royal Air Force
. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack.
The squadron's current HQ
is at RAF Leeming
.It had previously been at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus
. The motto of the squadron is "Feu de Fer "(Fire from Iron).
34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment is a Field Squadron and as such is a highly mobile, flexible and well-equipped fighting force.
With a strength of 164 personnel, including specialist engineering and support staff, the Squadron's firepower is provided by a wide range of infantry
weapons including sniper
rifles, general purpose machine guns and light and medium mortars. Fully air portable, the Squadron's cross-country mobility is mainly provided by Land Rovers, although motorcycles and all-terrain trucks complete the transport capability. Battlefield communications systems and a highly effective range of surveillance and night observation equipment complete 34 Squadron's inventory to make it a flexible and powerful force capable of deploying anywhere in the world to defend British air assets or to take part in wider military action.
EKOA terrorist campaign. Operational detachments continued in Libya
, Aden, Iran
and within Cyprus itself, including during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the subsequent bloody partition. Re-rolled in 1975, as a Field Squadron it was equipped with Land Rovers, machine guns and mortars until being subsequently re-equipped with the Scorpion range of light armoured vehicles in 1982.
Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
in 1990, 34 Squadron deployed to the Gulf region to provide ground defence for Royal Air Force forward bases in Bahrain
and Saudi Arabia
. The Squadron re-rolled back to Field Squadron in 1993 and in 1996, after 40 years in Cyprus, the Squadron returned to the United Kingdom
and its present home, Royal Air Force Leeming in North Yorkshire. 34 Squadron completed a 6 month peace-keeping deployment to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
as part of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force in 1997, with a further deployment, once again, to the Gulf, in 1998, on Operation BOLTON in Kuwait. With rising international tension and the Royal Air Force detachment’s close proximity to the Iraqi border, 34 Squadron took the lead role in securing the base from potential terrorist and conventional ground attack, whilst working closely with American and Kuwaiti security forces.
Early 1999 saw an element of the Squadron assisting the Support Helicopter Force, on Operation AGRICOLA, in the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, where 34 Squadron personnel were responsible for the physical security of Puma Helicopters in a forward operating base near the Kosovan border. In the middle of the year an element of the Squadron again deployed to Macedonia to assist in the security of forward elements of KFOR the Kosovo stabilisation force. From early 2000 the Squadron prepared for a return to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait for a successful 8 month tour from April to December. The early part of 2001 saw the Squadron heavily involved with Op PENINSULA assisting MAFF with overseeing the slaughter assembly and disposal of animals affected by Foot and Mouth Disease in North Yorkshire. The Squadron then began training for a deployment to Aldergrove towards the end of 2001.
Formed on 19 November 1951 as a light anti-aircraft squadron, 34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment first operated overseas when the Squadron moved to El Hammra, Egypt
and from where it launched a number of operational detachments to the Suez Canal
Zone. The Squadron subsequently moved to Cyprus in 1956 to counter the
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack.
The squadron's current HQ
HQ
HQ may refer to:* HQ, an abbreviation for headquarters* HQ, an abbreviation for high quality* HQ , a 1975 album by Roy Harper* Hagströmer & Qviberg, a Swedish investment bank* Harley Quinn, a DC Comics character and enemy of Batman...
is at RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
.It had previously been at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. The motto of the squadron is "Feu de Fer "(Fire from Iron).
34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment is a Field Squadron and as such is a highly mobile, flexible and well-equipped fighting force.
With a strength of 164 personnel, including specialist engineering and support staff, the Squadron's firepower is provided by a wide range of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
weapons including sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
rifles, general purpose machine guns and light and medium mortars. Fully air portable, the Squadron's cross-country mobility is mainly provided by Land Rovers, although motorcycles and all-terrain trucks complete the transport capability. Battlefield communications systems and a highly effective range of surveillance and night observation equipment complete 34 Squadron's inventory to make it a flexible and powerful force capable of deploying anywhere in the world to defend British air assets or to take part in wider military action.
EKOA terrorist campaign. Operational detachments continued in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Aden, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and within Cyprus itself, including during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the subsequent bloody partition. Re-rolled in 1975, as a Field Squadron it was equipped with Land Rovers, machine guns and mortars until being subsequently re-equipped with the Scorpion range of light armoured vehicles in 1982.
Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in 1990, 34 Squadron deployed to the Gulf region to provide ground defence for Royal Air Force forward bases in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The Squadron re-rolled back to Field Squadron in 1993 and in 1996, after 40 years in Cyprus, the Squadron returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and its present home, Royal Air Force Leeming in North Yorkshire. 34 Squadron completed a 6 month peace-keeping deployment to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
as part of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force in 1997, with a further deployment, once again, to the Gulf, in 1998, on Operation BOLTON in Kuwait. With rising international tension and the Royal Air Force detachment’s close proximity to the Iraqi border, 34 Squadron took the lead role in securing the base from potential terrorist and conventional ground attack, whilst working closely with American and Kuwaiti security forces.
Early 1999 saw an element of the Squadron assisting the Support Helicopter Force, on Operation AGRICOLA, in the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, where 34 Squadron personnel were responsible for the physical security of Puma Helicopters in a forward operating base near the Kosovan border. In the middle of the year an element of the Squadron again deployed to Macedonia to assist in the security of forward elements of KFOR the Kosovo stabilisation force. From early 2000 the Squadron prepared for a return to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait for a successful 8 month tour from April to December. The early part of 2001 saw the Squadron heavily involved with Op PENINSULA assisting MAFF with overseeing the slaughter assembly and disposal of animals affected by Foot and Mouth Disease in North Yorkshire. The Squadron then began training for a deployment to Aldergrove towards the end of 2001.
Formed on 19 November 1951 as a light anti-aircraft squadron, 34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment first operated overseas when the Squadron moved to El Hammra, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and from where it launched a number of operational detachments to the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
Zone. The Squadron subsequently moved to Cyprus in 1956 to counter the