| No. 31 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Remotely Piloted Air System squadron |
| Role | Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and attack |
| Part of | No. 1 Group |
| Home station | RAF Waddington |
| Nickname(s) | 'Goldstars' |
| Motto(s) | In cælum indicum primus (Latin for 'First into Indian skies')[1] |
| Mascot(s) | Flt Lt, The Right Honourable, "Arris Arietis" Esq (Panda) |
| Aircraft | General Atomics Protector RG1 |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | In front of a wreath of laurel, a mullet. The badge was based on an unofficial emblem, the mullet indicating the Star of India and the squadron's claim to being the first military unit to fly in India. Approved by King George VI in June 1937.[2] |
| Squadron Roundel |  |
| Squadron codes | ZA (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) CB (Jul 1948 – Mar 1955) VS (Jul 1948 – 1951) DA–DZ (Jun 1976–Mar 2019) |
Number 31 Squadron, known as the Goldstars,[3] is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The Squadron lays claim to being the first military unit to fly in India, where it was based from 1915 to 1947.[2] Throughout the Cold War, No. 31 Squadron was based in West Germany, flying from RAF Laarbruch and RAF Brüggen. Between September 1984 and March 2019, the Goldstars operated the Panavia Tornado GR1/4, initially from RAF Brüggen and after August 2001 from RAF Marham, Norfolk. No. 31 Squadron was disbanded on 14 March 2019 at RAF Marham and reformed on 11 October 2023 at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, equipped with the General Atomics Protector RG1.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 35. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ a b "31 SQUADRON". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ "31 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2019.