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No. 1435 Flight RAF

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No. 1435 Flight Royal Air Force, commonly abbreviated 1435 Flt, is an independent aircraft flight of the Royal Air Force (RAF). Currently operating the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 (tranche 1), it is based at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. Its role is to provide air defence for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Four aircraft are permanently based in the islands, whilst their pilots and groundcrew are cycled through No. 1435 Flight from the various Typhoon squadrons in the United Kingdom, providing a 24-hour, 365-day quick reaction alert (QRA) role.

No. 1435 Flight Royal Air Force
Flight badge
Flight badge
Active4 Dec 1941 – Jun 1942
15 Jul 1942 – 2 Aug 1942
late 1983 – May 1985
1 Nov 1988 – present[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
AllegianceMonarch of the United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Typeindependent aircraft flight
Roleair defence
Sizefour fixed-wing fighter aircraft
Part ofBritish Forces South Atlantic Islands
Home stationRAF Mount Pleasant
Motto(s)Protect the Right
AircraftEurofighter Typhoon FGR4 or Tranche 1[2]
Insignia
Flight tail and nose badges
Flight aircraft codesF, H, C and D

During the Second World War, No. 1435 Flight was a night fighter (NF) unit based at Malta, subsequently raised to squadron status, becoming the only RAF flying squadron to be given a four-digit number.[3][4]

History

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Early years

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See also: Hal Far Fighter Flight

The Malta Night Fighter Unit (MNFU) was formed in late July 1941 at RAF Ta Kali on Malta, equipped with twelve Hawker Hurricane Mk.II fighters. The unit's Hurricanes usually operated in pairs in conjunction with searchlights.[5] It claimed its first successes on the night of 5/6 August, when two Fiat BR 20Ms were shot down.[6]

No. 1435 (Night Fighter) Flight was first formed at Malta as a night fighter (NF) unit on 4 December 1941,[i] by re-designating the Malta Night Fighter Unit.[1] The unit remained equipped with Hawker Hurricane Mk.II fighters,[8] but now found that the Hurricane had difficulty in intercepting fast Junkers Ju 88s over Malta, and instead began to operate night intruder missions over Sicily to catch the enemy aircraft over their own airfields, fitting its Hurricanes with external fuel tanks to increase the aircraft's endurance. They were also used to drop supplies (and in particular money) to a British agent operating in Sicily.[9] On 7 March, the Flight was strengthened by the addition of four radar-equipped Bristol Beaufighter night fighters.[10]

The flight was reformed in July 1942 at RAF Luqa, also in Malta, as a day fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfire, and manned by personnel from several squadrons, including No. 185, No. 249, and No. 603 Squadrons.[11] After a brief period as No. 1435 (Fighter) Flight, at RAF Luqa, due to its size it was raised to No. 1435 Squadron on 2 August 1942 at RAF Luqa, Malta.[12][13]

It converted to fighter-bomber activities in January 1943, and operated over Sicily and in Italy. It was assigned to the Balkan Air Force, carrying out operations over Albania and Yugoslavia until the end of the war.

It disbanded on 29 April 1945 at Falconara, Italy.[14]

Falkland Islands

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McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2 XV461 (Charity) in flight, 1991.
 
Panavia Tornado F3s ZG778 (Hope) and ZE736 (Faith) flying over the Falkland Islands in 2007.
 
Eurofigher Typhoon FGR4 'F' of 1435 Flt demonstrating its under-wing drop tanks and fusleage-mounted air-to-air missiles.
 
Eurofigher Typhoon FGR4 'D' of 1435 Flt.

Following the Falklands War in 1982, the Flight provided an air defence unit at RAF Stanley airfield in East Falkland. As this was badly damaged during the fighting, the Flight reformed with Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 'jump-jet' aircraft in late 1983, and disbanding again in May 1985.

In November 1988, when No. 23(F) Squadron converted to the Panavia Tornado F3, No. 1435 Flight was revived, equipped with four McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2s. After No. 23(F) Squadron's disbandment at RAF Mount Pleasant, the mission and equipment were transferred to No. 1435 Flight. The Phantoms were replaced in July 1992 when four Panavia Tornado F3s arrived in the Falklands.[15]

No. 1435 Flight again re-equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon in September 2009, when four Typhoons arrived from RAF Coningsby. The Typhoon FGR4 variant was initially deployed,[16] though as of 2024 the Typhoons in the islands are said to be Tranche 1 variants in an exclusive air defence role.[2]

Flight home stations

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Aircraft operated

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Aircraft operated by No. 1435 Flight.[1][4][13][17]

Heritage and traditions

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Motto

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The Flight goes by the motto of 'Protect the Right', while the motto of the Falkland Islands is 'Desire the Right'.[ii]

Maltese heritage

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The Flight has maintained its Maltese connections, with its aircraft sporting the Maltese cross. The practice of naming the four-aircraft presence on the islands has also been maintained: they are called 'Faith', 'Hope', and 'Charity', after the legendary three Gloster Sea Gladiators that once defended Malta, and 'Desperation'. 'Desperation' was added to the three traditional names when Phantoms entered service in the Falklands and the flight was revived in 1988. 'Faith', 'Hope', and 'Charity' fly operationally, with 'Desperation' appropriately in reserve. On their retirement in 1992, one of the F-4M Phantoms was placed as the gate guardian at Mount Pleasant. The Phantoms were replaced by four Panavia Tornado F3s. The four Tornados remained in active service until they were replaced in turn by four Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s in September 2009.[20] Although the unit's new aircraft do not have the traditional names applied, the four aircraft have tail codes that match (F, H, C, D).[21]

See also

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References

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Notes
  1. ^ 2 December according to Shores, Cull and Mazilia.[7]
  2. ^ The WWII squadron had neither motto nor badge at that time.[19]
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d Lake (1999), p. 89
  2. ^ a b "What UK military forces are based at the Falkland Islands?". Air Force Technology. 29 March 2024.
  3. ^ "No 671 – 1435 Squadron histories". RAFweb.org. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. n.d.
  4. ^ a b "No.1435 Squadron". RAF Museum - National Cold War Exhibition. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  5. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1987), pp. 270–271.
  6. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1987), pp. 273–274.
  7. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1987), p. 342.
  8. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991), p. 27.
  9. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991), p. 57.
  10. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991), p. 110.
  11. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991), pp. 424–425.
  12. ^ Rawlings (1976), p. 511.
  13. ^ a b Halley (1988), p. 459.
  14. ^ Rawlings (1976), p. 512.
  15. ^ March, Peter R. (1998). Brace by Wire to Fly-By-Wire – 80 Years of the Royal Air Force 1918–1998. RAF Fairford: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises. p. 158. ISBN 1-899808-06-X.
  16. ^ "Typhoons depart for the Falklands". Fast Air Photography. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  17. ^ Jefford (2001), p. 106.
  18. ^ Photographic archive, Imperial War Museum
  19. ^ "History of 1435 Squadron". Royal Air Force, MOD. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  20. ^ "Typhoons arrive in Falklands". Falklands.gov.fk. Government of the Falkland Islands. September 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010.
  21. ^ "News Brief". Air Forces Monthly (324): 7. January 2016.
Bibliography
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