702 Naval Air Squadron

702 Naval Air Squadron trains all ground and air crew for our sister front-line maritime Lynx squadron, 815 NAS. Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, our squadron feeds 815 Naval Air Squadron with more than a dozen aircrew and in excess of 100 maintainers, courtesy of our 160 experienced personnel. The training unit also provides refresher instruction annually for up to 50 fliers who’ve spent some time away from the Lynx community. For Lynx newcomers fresh from basic helicopter training at RAF Shawbury, or from the observer training squadron 750 NAS, there are 12 months of hard graft ahead as they learn how to fly – and fight – the world’s fastest helicopter.

Lynx Mk8
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All manner of instruction is required: rapid roping boarding teams, search and rescue, load lifting, ferrying passengers around, providing the eyes for naval gunfire as well as the traditional roles of maritime interdiction and submarine hunting. That instruction reaches its climax with an intensive training period at sea. At the same time, the Lynx ground crew are undergoing thorough operational training – which includes going to sea so they can learn how to maintain the helicopter in the confines of a warship at sea. The squadron is also the home of the award-winning Black Cats – the Royal Navy’s official helicopter display team. The display contains two helicopters flying close, fast passes, and dramatic synchronised manoeuvres. The team perform at air shows throughout the country over the summer display season.

For more information and merchandise regarding the Black Cats - click on the links below

http://www.facebook.com/RoyalNavyBlackCats

http://www.fleetairarm.com/

COMMANDING OFFICER

Easily my proudest moment to date in the Navy is being awarded the opportunity to Command of 702.

Peter Hoare

RANK:
Commander

JOINED:
1990

SPECIALISATION:
Warfare (Observer)

PREVIOUS UNITS:
HMS Ocean, HMS Montrose

Military experience

Cdr Peter Hoare joined the Navy in 1990. He has seen Lynx frontline service with HMS Brazen, Avenger and Montrose and in HMS Ocean as the Operations Officer. Selected to instruct he has served with 702 NAS twice already before assuming Command of the Squadron in 2010.

A keen sportsman, he represented the Fleet Air Arm at Rugby and is a half ironman triathlete.

LATEST NEWS

ABOUT THE UNIT

KEY STATISTICS

Hours flown by squadron in 2010: 2,742

Number of ratings: 170

Fuel used in 2010: 825,600Kg

Distance flown by 702 crews in 2010: 330,000 nautical miles

Hours flown by a student in a Lynx before earning their wings: 160 / 40 Aircraft / Simulator

Average number of deck landings before qualifying: 25

Number of students per year: 12

M3M machine-gun rounds fired last year: 16,499

Personnel: 203

Number of Officers: 33

TAKE A LOOK

- Lynx Mk8
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UNITS IN TIME

702 Naval Air Squadron HISTORY

TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED 702 Naval Air Squadron

Formation - Second Battle Squadron

702 Naval Air Squadron traces its history back to July 1936 and 702 Flight, which flew Walrus and Seal aircraft with 2nd Battle Squadron before flying Fairey Seafoxes from armed merchant cruisers during World War 2.
War in the Far East

The Squadron was disbanded in 1943, but stood up again towards the war’s end to support the war in the Far East. Unfortunately, they arrived in the Pacific three weeks after the Japanese threw in the towel.
The Next Incarnation

The next incarnation of the squadron was as the RN’s Jet Evaluation and Training Unit flying Sea Vampires, Meteors and, latterly, Supermarine Attackers, until it was re-badged as part of 736 NAS in 1952.
A Training Squadron

After a brief reappearance in the late 50s as a training squadron giving non-Fleet Air Arm Navy personnel a taste of flight, the most recent variant of 702 was formed in Yeovilton in 1978.
Yeovilton

Has been a training unit at Portland (1982-99) and today at Yeovilton with the motto 'cave ungues felis': beware the claws of the cat.

1936
1943
1952
1978
1981

Current Jobs

Air Engineer Officer

In this technically demanding job, you’re ultimately responsible for the people who keep the Royal Navy flying. On an operational squadron, you’ll lead a team maintaining, updating, fitting and testing sophisticated propulsion, weapons, navigation, communications and control systems and keeping...

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Aircrew Officer Navigation and Weapons Systems/Observer

As an Aircrew Officer Navigation and Weapons Systems, you’ll have one of the most demanding and complex jobs in aviation. After gaining a thorough grounding in navigation, first aid, emergency handling and survival, you’ll complete training for your specialist role...

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Aircrew Officer Pilot

You must have the commitment and physical and mental stamina to cope with the long and demanding training. You’ll need to be calm, confident and decisive under pressure. But you’ll need to develop more than just flying and tactical skills...

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702 Naval Air Squadron