849 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm , the Air Arm of the British Royal Navy . It was formed during the Second World War as a carrier based torpedo - bomber , unit , flying missions against Japanese targets in the Far East . Its service since the Second World War has been as an airborne early warning squadron , flying fixed winged Skyraiders and Gannets from the Royal Navy ' s fixed wing carriers from 1952 until 1978 , and airborne early warning Sea King helicopters since 1982 . Operational history . World War two . 849 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 1 August 1943 at the Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island with Grumman Avenger Is . It returned to the UK and provided anti - surface vessel and anti - submarine patrols over the English Channel prior to and during the D - Day operations . In August 1944 , it was sent to Ceylon to join the British Eastern Fleet , embarking on HMS " Victorious " ( and becoming part of the British Pacific Fleet in November 1944 ) . It took part in Operation " Lentil " against oil installations at Pangkalan Brandan in Sumatra on 4 January 1945 , and in the larger carrier strikes against the oil refineries at Palembang Sumatra ( Operation " Meridian " on 24 and 29 January . " Victorious " , including 849 in its Carrier Air Group , took part in operations in support of the American invasion of Okinawa from March to May 1945 , flying strikes against airfields used by Japanese " Kamikaze " aircraft on the Sakishima Islands and on Formosa . Still aboard " Victorious " , No . 849 took place in raids against the Japanese Home islands in July and August , including the bombing raids on 24 July that resulted in severe damage to the Japanese escort carrier " Kaiyo " . It disbanded on 31 October 1945 . Airborne Early Warning ( 1953 - 78 ) . The squadron reformed at Royal Naval Air Station ( RNAS ) Brawdy on 7 July 1953 , being equipped with ex United States Navy Douglas Skyraider AEW . 1 as an Airborne Early Warning unit , from 778 Naval Air Squadron . These were operated by squadron detachments assigned to the Royal Navy ' s aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal , Bulwark , Eagle , Hermes and Victorious . Following the retirement of the Skyraiders in December 1960 , the unit flew the Fairey Gannet AEW . 3 in the same role , operating from HMS Eagle , Ark Royal , Centaur , Hermes and Victorious . Gannet AS . 4 , COD . 4 and T . 5s were also operated in supporting roles . The squadron detachments continued as 849B ( Ark Royal ) and 849HQ ( RAF Lossiemouth ) , until the squadron disbanded again on 15 December 1978 . In November 1970 Bristol Belle , one of the first hot air balloons to fly in UK , was piloted by Lt Terry Adams , accompanied by Lt Howard Draper both of 849 Squadron B Flight ( Gannets ) . This early morning launch carried mail into Malta whilst the Ark Royal was steaming off the southern coast of that island . Helicopter AEW ( 1984 to date ) . It reformed after the lessons of the 1982 South Atlantic campaign had been learned , on 8 November 1984 and the unit now operates the Westland Sea King Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and Control ( ASaC ) helicopter . The squadron has its headquarters at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and operates 9 aircraft . It is divided into three elements - two flights ( A and B ) , or Aardvarks and Bees and the Operational Conversion Unit ( OCU ) ( Previously known as HQ ) . Historically a Flight is assigned to each of the two active aircraft carrier s in the Royal Navy but this system is currently changing . The squadron suffered heavy losses during the 2003 invasion of Iraq when two of its aircraft operating from HMS " Ark Royal " collided during low visibility conditions . Six squadron members and an American exchange officer were killed in the collision . On 13 December 2006 , after a short ceremony at RNAS Culdrose , A Flight became 854 Squadron and B Flight became 857 Squadron , taking the former ' s Sea King ASaC . 7 with them .