846 Naval Air Squadron 846 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm . It operates the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load lifting support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines . The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset . History . Second World War . 846 Naval Air Squadron was established in April 1943 at the Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island , USA . It was equipped with 12 Grumman Avenger I torpedo bombers . Two months later the squadron embarked on the escort carrier HMS Ravager ( D70 ) and was transferred to the UK . Before being assigned to HMS Tracker ( D24 ) in January 1944 , four Grumman Wildcat V fighters were added to 846 NAS . HMS " Tracker " was first assigned to convoys going to Gibraltar , then to Murmansk . On the latter voyage , aircraft from 846 NAS attacked eight German U - Boat s . HMS " Tracker " was damaged in June 1944 in a collision with the Canadian frigate HMCS " Teme " ( K458 ) while forming part of the naval screen for the D - Day landings , and the squadron disembarked to RAF Limavady airfield , Northern Ireland , joining 15 Group RAF Coastal Command . A month later 846 NAS was assigned to HMS Trumpeter ( D09 ) , mainly laying mines off Norway until September 1944 . In December a detachment was formed and transferred to HMS Premier ( D23 ) for a few days . The remainder of 846 NAS operated from HMS " Trumpeter " or RNAS Hatston in Orkney up to May 1945 . On May 4 , 1945 twelve Avenger and four Wildcat aircraft of the squadron took part in Operation Judgement , Kilbotn , the last air - raid of the war in Europe . The fighter flight was disbanded after the end of hostilities in Europe . 846 NAS was then assigned to the 4th Carrier Group and should deploy to the Far East aboard the fleet carrier HMS Illustrious ( 87 ) . However , a change of plans led to the squadron becoming a trials unit . It was renumbered 751 NAS and was disbanded at Machrihanish , in September 1945 . Borneo . 846 NAS was reformed in 1962 as a Commando squadron equipped with the Westland Whirlwind HAS7 . It was deployed to Borneo aboard the commando carrier HMS Albion ( R07 ) and flew in support of actions against guerrilla s during the Indonesia – Malaysia confrontation . British Army units gave 846 NAS the nickname ' Junglies ' in Borneo , which the squadron has kept until today . After returning for the Far East , 846 NAS was disbanded again , only to be reformed in 1968 at RNAS Culdrose . This time the squadron was equipped with the Westland Wessex HU5 . The squadron deployed aboard the dock - landing ship HMS Fearless ( L10 ) and conducted cold weather trials in Norway . In May 1972 , the squadron was relocated to RNAS Yeovilton as the Wessex Headquarters and Trials Squadron . In February 1979 the squadron was deployed aboard the commando carrier HMS Bulwark ( R08 ) . In December of the same year 846 NAS started to convert to the Westland Sea King HC4 . Falklands War . In April 1982 , 846 NAS embarked aboard the carrier HMS Hermes ( R12 ) as part of the Royal Navy task force in the Falklands War . During the war 846 NAS Sea King ’ s flew over 2800 hours , completed 10 , 000 individual troop moves and transported more than 81 , 600 Tonne of freight . In 1983 , detachments were deployed aboard the carriers HMS " Hermes " and HMS Invincible ( R05 ) . At the end of 1983 a detachment was deployed aboard HMS " Fearless " to the coast of Lebanon for the eventual withdrawal of British Nationals and troops from Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War . Gulf War . In 1990 , 846 NAS took part in the Gulf War . In six weeks the squadron flew a total of 1200 hours in support of Allied ground forces . After the end of hostilities the squadron moved to northern Iraq to assist with humanitarian relief for the Kurds . Yugoslav Wars . In January 1993 , 846 NAS was deployed until March aboard the carrier HMS " Ark Royal " to the Adriatic as part of UN operations in Yugoslavia . Shortly after returning to the UK the squadron was deployed to Northern Ireland to replace 707 NAS to provide support to security forces . It returned to the Balkans to provide air support for Multi - National Division - SW ( SFOR ) , which was then commanded by the British , in Bosnia . This deployment lasted until 2002 . Afghanistan . Since 2007 , the 10 Sea King HC4 + helicopters of 846 NAS are heavily committed to the Kandahar and Helmand provinces in Afghanistan in support of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines . Future . It is currently planned that 846 NAS will re - equip with ex RAF Merlin HC3 helicopters in 2015 .