No. 330 Squadron RNoAF | |
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Active | 25 April 1941–21 November 1945 1953-1958 1962-1968 1973-present |
Branch | Royal Norwegian Air Force |
Role | Search and rescue |
Part of | 130th Air Wing |
Garrison/HQ | Sola Air Station |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | F-84G (1953–58) |
Helicopter | Sea King (1973–current) AW101 (2020-) |
Patrol | N-3PB (1941–43) Catalina (1942–43) Sunderland (1943–45) Albatross (1962–68) |
No. 330 Squadron RNoAF (Norwegian: 330 skvadron) is a helicopter unit of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and is Norway's military search and rescue service. The squadron operates ten Westland Sea King helicopters based at six airbases along the coast. Headquartered at Sola Air Station, the squadron has detachments at Rygge, Florø, Ørland, Bodø and Banak. The unit's primary duty is search and rescue (SAR), with secondary duties consisting of air ambulance and disaster relief.
The squadron has its roots in the No. 330 Squadron RAF, which conducted maritime surveillance, Arctic convoy escort and anti-submarine warfare during the Second World War. It was established on Iceland on 25 April 1941, where it operated Northrop N-3PB and Consolidated PBY Catalina seaplanes. It relocated to RAF Oban in Scotland on 23 January 1943 and adopted Short Sunderland flying boats in the same role. It relocated to Sola in June 1945, where it operated mostly as an airline until December, when it was deactivated.
The unit was reactivated between 20 July 1953 and 5 July 1958 to operate the Republic F-84G Thunderjet fighters, first based at Gardermoen Air Station and from 1956 at Rygge. It was again reactivated from 1 March 1962 to 1 October 1968 to carry out maritime surveillance and anti-submarine operations from Sola, using the Grumman HU-16 Albatross. In its current role the squadron became operational in 1973, using ten, later twelve Sea Kings. These are due to be replaced with the AgustaWestland AW101 from 2020.