700 Naval Air Squadron (700 NAS), known as 700X Naval Air Squadron (700X NAS), or 700X Squadron, is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Maritime Unmanned Air System squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). 'X' is used to designate 'experimental', it is currently the Royal Navy's Remotely-piloted air systems (RPAS) expert unit.
Headquartered at RNAS Culdrose, 700X Squadron has established Predannack Airfield as a facility for training and testing RPAS and their operators.
The squadron comprises deployable flights that utilise the RQ-20 Puma Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for surveillance purposes. Additionally, 700X NAS instructs teams of Royal Marine Commandos in the operation of Puma for reconnaissance missions.
Furthermore, the squadron operates deployable flights equipped with Malloy T-150 heavy lift vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs, capable of transporting supplies. Additionally Flights from 700X Squadron employ the Peregrine rotorcraft UAV, a remote-piloted system, to deliver all-weather surveillance, tracking, and target identification both day and night.
Moreover, 700X Naval Air Squadron offers training across the Defence sector in the operation of RPAS and quadcopters.
History
Catapult flights (1940-1944)
700 Naval Air Squadron was originally formed on 21 January 1940 at RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk) in Orkney in a plan to centralise the operations of the 700 series "Catapult" flights attached to catapult units and to act as a pool and Headquarters for all catapult aircraft embarked on Royal Navy battleships and cruisers. It was initially equipped with forty-two Supermarine Walrus flying boats, together with eleven Fairey Seafox and twelve Fairey Swordfish floatplanes.
On 21 June 1940, a Walrus (P5666) of 700 Squadron on the cruiser found the German battleship Scharnhorst but Manchester did not engage.
From July, the squadron absorbed small number of Supermarine Walrus operated from RAF Sullom Voe, designated as the Shetland Flight, with aircraft and crews from RNAS Hatston and disembarked Flights from the Home Fleet. These carried out local anti-submarine patrols and shipping escort under the control of No. 18 Group RAF, within RAF Coastal Command. On 25 September 1940, Supermarine Walrus L2247, embarked on the cruiser , was shot down by Vichy French fighters during the Battle of Dakar and crashed into the sea killing all three crew.Reports of proceedings HMAS Australia, Sept 1940, Australian War Memorial
In November the squadron took over the 701 Naval Air Squadron aircraft which were operating from Stornoway harbour and this became known as 700 Stornoway Flight. In March 1941 this Flight moved to RAF Sullom Voe and joined the Shetland Flight, but this then disbanded in May when RAF aircraft became available. Trailing Kriegsmarine capital ships in the lead up to the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Supermarine Walrus L2184 of 700 Naval Air Squadron from was damaged by shellfire from Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait on 23 May 1941 while still on its catapult.
In June 1942, 700 Naval Air Squadron moved its HQ, known as ‘A’ Flight, the short distance across Orkney to RNAS Twatt (HMS Tern). By this time the squadron provided a ten-week training course for new catapult Flights. The final two weeks of the course were spent attached to ‘A’ Flight at for final training, before joining their allocated ship.
The training was broken down into an initial three weeks of aerodrome flying, at RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin), in Fife, consisting circuits and landings, dive-bombing, photography and anti-submarine warfare. A second three-week block was spent at RNAS Dundee (HMS Condor II), a seaplane base / repair depot, in Dundee, where the focus was on water operations, which included night landings. Week seven was a catapult course aboard HMS Pegasus, a Royal Navy aircraft carrier/seaplane carrier, in the Irish Sea. Week eight was then a return to RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin).
The final successful attack on an enemy submarine by a Walrus was on 11 July 1942, when Walrus W2709 of 700 (Levant) NAS sank the Italian submarine Ondina near Cypris in conjunction with the South African navy surface vessels HMSAS Protea and HMSAS Southern Maid, east of Cyprus.
There were at least 5 confirmed enemy submarines sunk or damaged by Walruses during the Second World War, including the Vichy French submarine Poncelet which was bombed by Walrus L2268 of 700 NAS from and attacked by on 7 November 1940 off the Cameroons. The submarine was damaged and forced to surrender, and later scuttled off the Gulf of Guinea. The crew of Petty Officer P.H. Parsons, Sub Lieutenant A.D. Corkhill and N.A. Evans were all awarded gallantry medals.
By the middle of 1943 the squadron strength was down to twenty aircraft as radar made catapult launched aircraft unnecessary. What was left of A' Flight became 'B' Flight of 771 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Hatston and 700 Naval Air Squadron disbanded on 24 March 1944.
Maintenance Test Pilot's School (1944-1949)
700 Naval Air Squadron reformed on 11 November 1944 as the Maintenance Test Pilot Training Squadron at RNAS Donibristle (HMS Merlin). It later moved to RNAS Worthy Down (HMS Kestrel), Hampshire, and became part of the School of Aircraft Maintenance, operating with the torpedo bomber aircraft Grumman Avenger and Fairey Barracuda, the Blackburn Firebrand strike fighter, and the navalised fighter aircraft: Fairey Firefly, Grumman Hellcat, Supermarine Seafire, and Grumman Wildcat.
It provided a training course which required each pilot to complete a minimum of five weeks test flying on FAA aircraft in active service and during the initial eleven months eighty-four test pilots were trained. Remaining in Hampshire, the squadron moved to RNAS Middle Wallop (HMS Flycatcher), on 23 November 1945. It moved again the following April when it 1946 the squadron relocated to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), Somerset and where in May 1948 it became part of the 50th Training Air Group. 700 Maintenance Test Pilots training Squadron disbanded in September 1949.
Trials and Requirements Unit (1955-1961)
700 Naval Air Squadron reformed as a Trials and Requirements Unit on 18 August 1955 at RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine), West Sussex. It was equipped with the multirole training aircraft Avro Anson, Fairey Firefly TT.4 target tug, de Havilland Sea Vampire F.20 fighter-bomber, Hawker Sea Hawk day fighter, Westland Wyvern strike aircraft and Fairey Gannet anti-submarine aircraft. 703 STU and 771 FRU had disbanded at RNAS Ford the previous day and they were successfully combined to form 700 Trials and Requirements Unit. One month later, on 19 September the squadron moved to RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron). In January 1956, when 787 Naval Air Squadron disbanded, 700 NAS took over its duties, however, in February 1957 the Fleet Requirements work was given to Airwork Services Ltd at Hurn. The squadron moved to RNAS Yeovilton in September 1958 where it later disbanded in July 1961.
The Squadron carried on trials of de Havilland Sea Vixens on and during 1958 and from October 1959 formed at Yeovilton with the Saunders Roe P.531 to investigate what would be needed to introduce a whole new form of helicopter operation to the Fleet – which led to the Westland Wasp.
In October 1960 flight tests of landing and take-offs from with 27 launchings of the turboprop Fairey Gannet and 34 with the Hawker Sea Hawk.
Intensive Flying Trials Units (IFTU)
A series of Intensive Flying Trials Units (IFTUs) and Operational Evaluation Units (OEUs) designated under the 700 Naval Air Squadron title were formed by the Fleet Air Arm from the late 1950s onwards to introduce and assess new aircraft types. These operated as independent units, each being identified by a suffix letter after the squadron number (e.g. "700B").
700H was first established at RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, in March 1957 to conduct trials with the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7, disbanding later that year in September. This was followed by 700X, formed at RNAS Ford, West Sussex, in August 1957 to evaluate the Supermarine Scimitar F.1 until its disbandment in May 1958. 700Y operated from RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, between November 1958 and July 1959, undertaking trials with the de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1. A second incarnation of 700H was created at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, in June 1959 to continue Whirlwind HAS.7 trials, disbanding in August 1959. It was followed by 700G, formed at Culdrose in August 1959 to introduce the Fairey Gannet AEW.3, remaining active until February 1960. 700H re‑formed again in April 1960, this time to trial the Westland Wessex HAS.1, operating from Culdrose until January 1962.
Further fixed‑wing trials were undertaken by 700Z, established at RNAS Lossiemouth, Moray, in March 1961 to evaluate the Blackburn Buccaneer S.1, before disbanding in January 1963. Rotary‑wing development continued with 700W, formed at Culdrose in June 1963 to introduce the Westland Wasp HAS.1 and disbanded in 4 March 1964. Shortly afterwards 700V was created at the same air station in 29 October 1963 to trial the Westland Wessex HU.5, disbanding in May 1964. Lossiemouth again hosted Buccaneer trials when 700B formed in April 1965 to evaluate the Buccaneer S.2, until its disbandment in September 1965. 700H re‑formed once more at Culdrose in January 1967 to introduce the Wessex HAS.3, disbanding in September 1967. The Fleet Air Arm’s transition to modern jet fighters was marked by 700P, established at Yeovilton in April 1968 to conduct trials with the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1, operating until March 1969.
The introduction of new anti‑submarine helicopters saw 700S formed at Culdrose in July 1969 to trial the Westland Sea King HAS.1, disbanding in May 1970. Later, 700L was established at Yeovilton in September 1976 to evaluate the Westland Lynx HAS.2 and Dutch SH‑14A Lynx Mk.25, remaining active until December 1977. The arrival of the Fleet Air Arm’s first V/STOL fighter led to 700A, which formed at Yeovilton in June 1979 to introduce the Sea Harrier FRS.1, disbanding in March 1980. Trials activity continued into the 1990s with 700L re‑formed at RNAS Portland, Dorset, in July 1990 as an OEU for the Lynx HAS.3, disbanding in July 1992.