No. 230 Squadron RAF
| No. 230 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 20 August 1918 – 1 April 1923 1 December 1934 – 28 February 1957 1 September 1958 – 3 December 1971 1 January 1972 – 30 April 1992 4 May 1992 – present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | King Charles III |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Helicopter medium-lift support |
| Part of | Joint Aviation Command |
| Based at | Medicina Lines, British Forces Brunei |
| Motto(s) | Kita chari jauh (Malay for 'We search far') |
| Battles |
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| Website | 230 Squadron RAF |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | In front of a palm tree eradicated, a tiger passant guardant. The badge commemorates the squadron's association with Malaya, the travellers palm being a reference to the long flights undertaken and the tiger is said to have been inspired by the labels on the bottles on the local Singaporean beer. Approved by King George VI in February 1937. |
| Squadron codes | FV (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) NM (Sep 1939 – Jan 1943) DX (1942 – Dec 1942) 4X (Apr 1946 – Apr 1951) B (Apr 1951 – 1956) 230 (1956 – Feb 1957) D (carried on Pumas whilst at Odiham) |
Number 230 Squadron Royal Air Force is a Royal Air Force (RAF) flying squadron, currently based at Medicina Lines in Brunei Darussalam, part of British Forces Brunei. The squadron was previously part of Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG), operating the Puma HC1 there from 1980. Following the drawdown of the British Armed Forces in Germany at the end of the Cold War, the squadron disbanded on 30 April 1992. This was short-lived however, and the squadron reformed at RAF Aldergrove on 4 May 1992, again with the Puma HC1.
The squadron is well experienced in night flying; almost a third of flights are undertaken after dark. The 2004 Future Capabilities chapter of the UK Defence White Paper, Delivering Security in a Changing World, announced a plan to reduce the squadrons Puma force by six helicopters. It was announced in late 2008 that the squadron was to move to RAF Benson by 2010. The squadron operated the Puma HC Mk2 from 2013 until the aircraft's retirement in 2025.