Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm ( FAA ) is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft . The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin , Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopter s . Helicopters such as the Lynx and Westland Wasp have been deployed on smaller vessels since 1964 , taking over the roles once performed by biplanes such as the Fairey Swordfish . The Fleet Air Arm was formed in 1924 as organisational unit of the Royal Air Force which was then operating the aircraft embarked on RN ships – the Royal Naval Air Service having been merged with the British Army ' s Royal Flying Corps in 1918 – and did not come under the direct control of the Admiralty until mid - 1939 . During the Second World War , the Fleet Air Arm operated both aircraft on ships and land - based aircraft that defended the Royal Navy ' s shore establishments and facilities . History . Beginnings . British naval flying started in 1909 , with the construction of an airship for naval duties . In 1911 the Royal Navy graduated its first aeroplane pilots at the Royal Aero Club flying ground at Eastchurch , Isle of Sheppey under the tutelage of pioneer aviator George Bertram Cockburn , but in May 1912 naval and army aviation were combined to become the Royal Flying Corps ( RFC ) . The Naval Wing of the RFC lasted until July 1914 when the Royal Navy reformed its air branch , under the Air Department of the Admiralty , naming it the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) . By the outbreak of the First World War , in August 1914 , the RNAS had more aircraft under its control than the remaining RFC . The main roles of the RNAS were fleet reconnaissance , patrolling coasts for enemy ships and submarines , attacking enemy coastal territory and defending Britain from enemy air - raids , along with deployment along the Western Front . In April 1918 the RNAS , which at this time had 67 , 000 officers and men , 2 , 949 aircraft , 103 airships and 126 coastal stations , merged with the RFC to form the Royal Air Force . Fleet Air Arm . On 1 April 1924 , the " Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force " was formed , encompassing those RAF units that normally embarked on aircraft carriers and fighting ships . 1924 was a significant year for British naval aviation as only weeks before the founding of the Fleet Air Arm , the Royal Navy had commissioned HMS Hermes , the world ' s first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier . Over the following months RAF Fleet Air Arm Fairey IIID reconnaissance biplanes operated off Hermes , conducting flying trials . On 24 May 1939 the Fleet Air Arm was returned to Admiralty control under the " Inskip Award " ( named after the Minister for Co - ordination of Defence who was overseeing Britain ' s re - armament programme ) and renamed the Air Branch of the Royal Navy . At the onset of the Second World War , the Fleet Air Arm consisted of 20 squadrons with only 232 aircraft . By the end of the war the worldwide strength of the Fleet Air Arm was 59 aircraft carriers , 3 , 700 aircraft , 72 , 000 officers and men , and 56 Naval air stations . During the war , the FAA operated fighters , torpedo bombers and reconnaissance aircraft . Following the Dunkirk evacuation and the commencement of the Battle of Britain , the Royal Air Force soon found itself critically short of fighter pilots . In the summer of 1940 , the RAF had little more than 800 fighter pilots and as the Battle progressed the RAF shortage worsened . There were simply not enough pilots , not enough ground crew , never enough sleep and too many enemy aircraft . With this desperate situation the RAF was forced to call upon the Admiralty for Fleet Air Arm assistance . As the Battle progressed , many of the unsung heroes of RAF Fighter Command were the Fleet Air Arm crews who served under Fighter Command , either loaned directly to RAF fighter squadrons or as with 804 and 808 naval units , entire squadrons were loaned to RAF Fighter Command , such as No 804 Squadron , which provided dockyard defence during the Battle of Britain with Sea Gladiator s . In the waters around the British Isles and out into the Atlantic Ocean , operations against enemy shipping and submarines in support of the RN were mounted by RAF Coastal Command with large patrol bombers and flying boats and land - based fighter - bombers . The aircraft carrier had replaced the battleship as the Fleet ' s capital ship and its aircraft were now strike weapons in their own right . The top scoring fighter ace with 17 victories was Commander Stanley Orr , the Royal Marine ace was Ronald Cuthbert Hay with 13 victories . Post - war history . After the war the FAA needed to fly jet aircraft from their carriers . The jet aircraft of the era were considerably less effective at low speeds than propeller aircraft , but propeller aircraft could not effectively fight jets at the high speeds flown by jet aircraft . The FAA took on its first jet , the Sea Vampire , in the late 1940s . The Sea Vampire was the first jet credited with taking off and landing on a carrier . The Air Arm continued with high - powered prop aircraft alongside the new jets resulting in the FAA being woefully outpowered during the Korean War . Nevertheless , jets were not yet wholly superior to propeller aircraft and a flight of ground - attack Hawker Sea Furies downed a MiG - 15 and damaged others in an engagement . As jets became larger , more powerful and faster they required more space to take off and land . The US Navy simply built much larger carriers . The Royal Navy had a few large carriers built and completed after the end of the war but another solution was sought . This was partly overcome by the introduction of a Royal Navy idea to angle the flight deck away from the centre line so that the aircraft landing had a clear run away from the usual forward deck park . An associated British invention , intended to provide more precise optical guidance to aircraft on final approaching the deck , was the Fresnel lens optical landing aid . Another Royal Navy invention was the use of a steam powered catapult to cater for the larger and heavier aircraft ( both systems were adopted by the US Navy ) . Defence cuts across the British armed forces during the 1960s and 1970s led to the withdrawal of existing Royal Navy aircraft carriers , transfer of Fleet Air Arm fixed - wing jet strike aircraft such as the F - 4K ( FG . 1 ) Phantom II and Buccaneer S . 2 to the Royal Air Force , and cancellation of large replacement aircraft carriers , including the CVA - 01 design . A new series of small carriers , the " Invincible " class anti - submarine warfare ships ( known as " through deck cruisers " ) were built and equipped with the Sea Harrier a derivative of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier VTOL aircraft . These carriers incorporated an upswept forward section of the flight deck that deflected the aircraft upward on launch and permitted heavier loads to be carried by the Harrier , for example in weaponry , and the system was used extensively in the Falklands war . The Harrier went on to form the basis of the Royal Navy ' s fixed - wing strike forces . Two new " Queen Elizabeth " class carriers able to operate the F - 35B short take - off and landing variant of the US Lockheed Martin Lightning II aircraft are under construction . However , with 21st century defence cuts continuing to impact the Ministry of Defence in general , and the Admiralty in particular , it is not certain if both carriers will enter service or what the final number of F - 35 aircraft purchased will be . Helicopter s also became important combat vehicles starting in the 1960s . At first they were employed on the carriers alongside the fixed - wing aircraft , but later they were also deployed on most smaller ships . Today at least one helicopter is found on all ships of frigate size or larger . Wasps and Sea Harriers played an active part in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict , while Lynx helicopters played an attack role against Iraqi patrol boats in the 1991 Gulf War and Commando Sea King HC4s as well as the Lynx HMA Mk 8 from HMS Argyll , assisted in suppressing rebel forces in Sierra Leone . In 2000 the Sea Harrier force was merged with the RAF ' s Harrier GR7 fleet to form Joint Force Harrier . The Fleet Air Arm began withdrawing the Sea Harrier from service in 2004 with the disbandment of 800 NAS . 801 NAS disbanded on 28 March 2006 at RNAS Yeovilton ( HMS Heron ) . 800 and 801 NAS were then combined to form the Naval Strike Wing , flying ex - RAF Harrier GR7 and GR9s . On 1 April 2010 , NSW reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron . The Harrier GR7 and GR9 retired from service in December 2010 following the 2010 SDSR . With the introduction of the F - 35 , the Fleet Air Arm will eventually return to the operation of fixed - wing strike aircraft at sea . As of 2013 , an initial cadre of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots and aircraft maintenance personnel were assigned to the U . S . Marine Corps ' Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 ( VMFAT - 501 ) , part of the U . S . Air Force ' s 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida , for training on the F - 35B . The Fleet Air Arm has a museum near RNAS Yeovilton ( HMS Heron ) in Somerset , England at which many of the great historical aircraft flown by the Service are on display , along with aircraft from other sources . There is also a Fleet Air Arm museum inside the Museum of Transport and Technology ( MOTAT ) in Auckland , New Zealand . On display there is a full - size replica Fairey Swordfish , along with historic items and memorabilia . The FAA today . Personnel . In 1938 , Admiralty Fleet Orders 2885 announced the formation of an Air Branch of the Royal Naval Reserve . Thirty three unmarried men signed up for 18 months full - time flying training ; however , before these first volunteers were able to gain their wings Britain was at war . At the end of hostilities in 1945 the RNVR ( A ) was 46 , 000 strong , with over 8000 aircrew . Post war the RNVR ( A ) comprised 12 dedicated reserve squadrons , grouped regionally into Air Divisions . However , defence cuts in 1957 disbanded the five Air Divisions , and the following year the RNVR was merged with the RNR . The RNR Air Branch was commissioned at RNAS Yeovilton on 16 July 1980 , and shortly afterwards 38 ex - regular aircrew began refresher training . Today the Air Branch comprises approx 250 ex - regular service Officers and Ratings , covering all aviation trades , tasked to support the Fleet Air Arm . Today , the regular Fleet Air Arm has approximately 5 , 200 personnel , which represents over 15 % of the Royal Navy ' s total strength . The Assistant Chief of Naval Staff ( Aviation & Carriers ) is Rear Admiral R G Harding OBE . Aircraft . The FAA operates fixed - wing and rotary - wing aircraft . The FAA uses the same designation system for aircraft as the RAF . Three types of fixed - wing aircraft are operated by the FAA for training purposes : pilot training is carried out using the Grob Tutor while , from March 2011 , observer training is done using four Beechcraft King Air 350s . The third type is the Hawk T1 , which is used to simulate enemy aircraft for training purposes including AEW Fighter Control , air - to - air combat and ship attack . Today the larger section of the FAA is the rotary - wing part . Its aviators fly four types of helicopter , and within each type there are usually several marks / versions which carry out different roles . Pilots designated for rotary wing service train at the Defence Helicopter Flying School , RAF Shawbury . The School is a tri - Service organisation consisting of civilian and military instructors ( including Naval instructors and a Naval Squadron ) that take the student from basic flying through to more advanced flying such as instrument flying , navigation , formation and captaincy . The oldest aircraft in the fleet is the Westland Sea King , which performs missions in several versions . The Sea King HC4 serves as a medium - lifter and troop - transporter in support of the Royal Marines . The HAS5U model operates in the search and rescue and utility roles , while the Sea King HU5 is designed for search and rescue work ( although the HAS5Us are often called HU5s as well ) . The HAS6C is used for assault transport training ; and the ASaC7 operates in the AEW role . Intermediate in age is the Westland Lynx . The Lynx AH7s serve the FAA in the observation and anti - armour helicopter roles , but are mainly a light - lift helicopter . Along with the Sea King HC4s , they are part of the Commando Helicopter Force , which provides support to 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines . The surface combatants of the Royal Navy have their helicopters provided for the most part by the Lynx HMA8 aircraft . The Lynx have primarily an anti - submarine warfare role and anti - surface vessel role . They are able to fire the Sea Skua anti - surface missile , which was used to combat the Iraqi navy in the 1991 Gulf War . It can be armed with Stingray air - launched torpedoes and depth charges for anti - submarine warfare , as well as a machine gun . The Lynx was originally envisaged for surface combatants that were too small for the Sea King , but now equips most surface ships of the Royal Navy . The newest helicopter in the FAA is the AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 . This has now replaced the Sea King HAS6 in the Anti - Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) role , and is deployed on the various ships of the Royal Navy . Future aircraft . In the Persian Gulf , the RN sustains a number of commitments in support of both national and coalition efforts to stabilise the region . The Armilla Patrol , which started in 1980 , is the navy ' s primary commitment the Gulf region . The Royal Navy also contributes heavily to the combined maritime forces in the Gulf in support of coalition operations . The UK Maritime Component Commander ( UKMCC ) , overseer of all UK warships in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters , is also deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces . Although currently the Fleet Air Arm is an all rotary wing force in terms of its front - line operations , the introduction of the F - 35B Lightning II will see a restoration of fixed wing operations . An initial order of 48 airframes was made in 2012 to equip the air wings of the planned two " Queen Elizabeth " class carriers , with the operation split between the FAA and the Royal Air Force , as was the case with Joint Force Harrier . The Fleet Air Arm will obtain a total of 28 AW159 Wildcat helicopters to replace the current Lynx in use on the Ship ' s Flights of the Royal Navy ' s escorts - this will perform a range of roles including anti - surface and anti - submarine warfare and airborne surveillance . To replace the Sea King in the Commando role , the Fleet Air Arm will receive the Merlin HC . 3 fleet currently operated by the RAF - some of these aircraft will remain as HC . 3 standard , while the rest will be fully navalised and classed as HC . 4 . In addition to replacing the Commando Helicopter Force Sea Kings , there is also a project to replace the Sea King in the Airborne Surveillance and Control mission , which has seen a number of proposals put forward , based on the type of aircraft carrier the platform would be expected to operate from . One idea has been to fit the existing Searchwater radar to the Merlin helicopter , while other options have included the E - 2 Hawkeye and an ASaC version of the V - 22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft . The " Crowsnet " helicopter based radar system project has been delayed until at least 2020 . The Main Gate for the project is at 2017 . The Royal Navy signed a £30 million contract for the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle on the 20 June 2013 giving the Navy their first UAV when delivered . Squadrons . Fleet Air Arm flying squadrons are formally named Naval Air Squadron ( NASs ) , a title used as a suffix to the squadron number . The FAA assigns numbers in the 700 – 799 range to training and operational conversion squadrons and numbers in the 800 – 899 range to operational squadrons . During WWII the 1700 and 1800 ranges were also used for operational squadrons . Squadrons active in the FAA are : 815 Naval Air Squadron is due to begin transitioning from the Lynx to the new Wildcat HMA . 2 in 2015 , while 824 Naval Air Squadron has begun the process of conversion to the HM . 2 version of the Merlin . The three Sea King squadrons of the Commando Helicopter Force are in the process of transitioning to the battlefield variants of the Merlin that are being transferred from the RAF . 809 Naval Air Squadron will be the first operational FAA unit to be equipped with the F - 35B Lightning . Culdrose ( HMS Seahawk ) is near Helston in Cornwall and Yeovilton ( HMS Heron ) is near Ilchester in Somerset . Their satellite , or relief , airfields are at Predannack and Merryfield respectively . Squadrons that were active at some point can be found in the List of Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons . Notable members . Some 64 naval pilots and 9 observer s have reached flag rank in the Royal Navy and 4 Royal Marines pilots general rank in the Royal Marines . Four of these admirals with pilot ' s ' wings ' were air engineering officers ( test pilots ) and two were supply officer s ; two of the non - executive officers reached four - star rank : a supply officer , Admiral Sir Brian Brown ( 1934 – ) , and a Royal Marine , General Sir Peter Whiteley ( 1920 – ) .