No. 216 Squadron RAF

No. 216 Squadron RAF
216 Squadron badge
Active5 October 1917 – 1 April 1918 (RNAS)
1 April 1918 – 27 June 1975 (RAF)
1 July 1979 – 20 March 2014
1 April 2020 – present
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeDrone swarm technology
RoleTest & Evaluation
Home stationRAF Waddington
Motto(s)CCXVI dona ferens
(Latin for '216 bearing gifts')[1]
Battle honours * Honours marked with an asterisk may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard
Insignia
Squadron badgeAn eagle, wings elevated, holding a bomb in its claws. Approved by King Edward VIII in May 1936.[2]
Squadron codesVT (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939)
SH (Sep 1939 – Sep 1941)

Number 216 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2020 and is tasked with testing future drone swarm technology. It had previously operated Lockheed TriStar K1, KC1 and C2s from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, between November 1984 and March 2014.

  1. ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 59. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ "216 Sqn". RAF Heraldry Trust. Retrieved 1 April 2019.