Fleet Air Arm

For the FAA, see Federal Aviation Administration.

Fleet Air Arm
Founded1914 (As the Royal Naval Air Service)
1924 (as the naval branch of the Royal Air Force)
1937 (as part of Naval Service)
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
Size5,000 personnel
c. 160 aircraft[1]
Part ofNaval Service
EngagementsSecond World War
Korean War
Operation Musketeer (Suez Crisis)
Falklands War
Gulf War
Bosnia
Afghanistan War
Iraq War
Websitewww.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/fleet-air-arm Edit this at Wikidata
Commanders
Commodore-in-ChiefCatherine, Princess of Wales
Commodore Fleet Air ArmCommodore Nicholas M. Walker[2][3]
Insignia
White Ensign
Roundels
Fin flashesFin flash Low visibility fin flash
Aircraft flown
AttackWildcat HMA2
FighterF-35B Lightning II
PatrolMerlin HM2
Wildcat HMA2
ReconnaissanceAeroVironment RQ-20 Puma[4]
Commando Wildcat AH1
Peregrine rotary-wing UAV
TrainerAvenger T1
Prefect T1
Tutor T1
Juno HT1[5]
Jupiter HT1[6]
TransportCommando Merlin HC4/4A
United Kingdom
His Majesty's
Naval Service
of the British Armed Forces
Components
  • Special Forces
History and future
Ships
Personnel
Auxiliary services

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five RN fighting arms.[7] As of 2023 it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with the Royal Air Force.

The RAF was formed by the 1918 merger of the RN's Royal Naval Air Service with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps. The FAA did not come under the direct control of the Admiralty until mid-1939. During the Second World War, the FAA operated aircraft on ships as well as land-based aircraft that defended the Royal Navy's shore establishments and facilities.

  1. ^ Military Aircraft:Written question – 225369 (House of Commons Hansard) Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Parliament of the United Kingdom, March 2015
  2. ^ "ROYAL NAVY SHOWS COMMITMENT TO DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE OPERATIONS". Royal Navy. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ^ "No. 63151". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 October 2020. p. 17730.
  4. ^ "NAVY'S DRONE EXPERTS 700X NAS READY TO DEPLOY ON WARSHIPS".
  5. ^ "705 Naval Air Squadron | Royal Navy". royalnavy.mod.uk.
  6. ^ Perry, Dominic. "PICTURES: Juno and Jupiter helicopters arrive at RAF Shawbury". Flightglobal.
  7. ^ "THE ROYAL NAVY'S SURFACE FLEET" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk. MOD UK. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2018.