White, a lion rampant armed and langued red holding in his fore paws a target in military colours (Wartime unofficial, transferred to 794 NAS on disbandment January 1945) Gold, a panther's head caboshed black (1949)[3]
The squadron was reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) in November 2001 from the Fleet Target Group, from RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey), which closed in 1998. It operated the Mirach 100/5 unmanned subsonic drones which were used to test the Sea Dart Missile System on Type 42 destroyers and Sidewinder missiles on Harrier and Tornadofighters. It is not listed on the current Royal Navy website and is believed to have been replaced by QinetiQ's Combined Aerial Target Service contract.
History of 792 NAS
Air Target Towing Unit (1940 - 1945)
792 Naval Air Squadron formed as an Air Target Towing Unit, at RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture), in Cornwall, on 15 August 1940.[4] Equipped initially with six Blackburn Roc and Blackburn Skua aircraft. The Blackburn Roc was a carrier-based turret fighter aircraft adapted as a target tug and the Blackburn Skua was a carrier-based dive bomber / fighter, similarly adapted for target towing work. These aircraft were eventually withdrawn and replaced with a dedicated target tug variant of the Boulton Paul Defiant, and Miles Martinet, an aircraft designed specifically for target towing.[2] 792 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 2 January 1945 on being absorbed into 794 Naval Air Squadron.[4]
Night Fighter Training School (1948 - 1950)
792 Naval Air Squadron reformed at RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk) on 15 January 1948, as the Night Fighter Training School.
It was initially equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.Mk l, a "night fighter" variant of the carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft and the unit also had three Avro Anson, a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. These were fitted for aircraft interception (AI) radar training. In May 1950 the squadron received de Havilland Sea Hornet NF.21 the “night fighter” variant of the twin-engined fighter aircraft. 792 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 16 August 1950, with 809 Naval Air Squadron acquiring its aircraft and role.[3]
Fleet Target Unit (2001 - 2009)
792 Naval Air Squadron reformed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, on 1 November
2001 from the Fleet Target Group, (it originally formed in 1959 as the RN Pilotless Target Aircraft Squadron, and became the Fleet Target Group in January 1974),[3] which relocated from RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey), upon the airbases closure in 1998.[5]
792 Naval Air Squadron operated its target drone aircraft on temporary detachments from shore bases, Royal Navy warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in support of gun and missile trials and training, however, the squadrons role was replaced by a commercial contract in June 2009.[3] 792 NAS disbanded in June 2009, with the responsibility of target provision passing to QinetiQ.[8]
Aircraft flown
The squadron has flown a number of different aircraft types, including:[4][9]
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN0-85130-223-8.