857 Naval Air Squadron

We take in turns with our sister unit, 854, to provide vital airborne monitoring of insurgent activity in southern Afghanistan, supplying ground units with key pieces of intelligence. We also deploy with carrier task groups in our more usual environment keeping track of aerial activity and keeping tabs on movements on the ocean.

Sea King ASaC Mk7
Sea King ASaC Mk7
Sea King ASaC Mk7

COMMANDING OFFICER

It is a great privilege to take command whilst 857 NAS is deployed and achieving so much on operations. It is particularly good to see the progress that has been made since I left Afghanistan in June 2010.

RANK:
Leiutenant Commander

JOINED:
05 Nov 2012 (857 NAS)

SPECIALISATION:

PREVIOUS UNITS:

Military experience

OPERATIONS

Operation Telic

CURRENT STATUS: COMPLETED

MISSION SUMMARY

An ongoing UK commitment to clearing and maintaining a mine countermeasures force in the Gulf.

Operation Herrick

CURRENT STATUS: COMPLETED

MISSION SUMMARY

Operation Herrick is the code-name for the work UK Forces have been doing in Afghanistan since 2002, working to bring about stability in the country and maintain the forces of law and order, pushing back the Taliban and preventing them from using the country as a base for terrorism.

TAKE A LOOK

- Navy Squadron Change Of Command In Afghanistan
  
  Lieutenant Commander Geoff Hayward (L) has handed over to Lieutenant Commander Mark Gill (R) after 26 months in Command of 857 Naval Air Squadron (NAS); one of the Navy’s two frontline ASaC units.
- Navy Squadron Change Of Command In Afghanistan
  
  THE ROYAL Navyâs Airborne Surveillance and Control Squadron (ASaC) in Afghanistan has a new Commanding Officer. Lieutenant Commander Geoff Hayward has handed over to Lieutenant Commander Mark Gill after 26 months in Command of 857 Naval Air Squadron (NAS); one of the Navyâs two frontline ASaC units. Lt Cdr Hayward has presided over a busy period for 857 NAS, taking over command whilst the Squadron was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. He steered the squadron during the humanitarian rescue mission in Libya embarked on HMS Ocean during 2011 before returning to Afghanistan in 2012.
- Navy Squadron Change Of Command In Afghanistan
  
  THE ROYAL Navyâs Airborne Surveillance and Control Squadron (ASaC) in Afghanistan has a new Commanding Officer. Lieutenant Commander Geoff Hayward has handed over to Lieutenant Commander Mark Gill after 26 months in Command of 857 Naval Air Squadron (NAS); one of the Navyâs two frontline ASaC units. Lt Cdr Hayward has presided over a busy period for 857 NAS, taking over command whilst the Squadron was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. He steered the squadron during the humanitarian rescue mission in Libya embarked on HMS Ocean during 2011 before returning to Afghanistan in 2012.
- 857 NAS
  
  SEA KING DECK LANDING PRACTICE - 22/8/11 Image shows a SeaKing from 857 NAS performing deck landing practice during OP Ellamy. An Apache from 656 Squadron AAC is in the foreground, with HH60s from the USAF in the background.
- 857 NAS
  
  AERIAL PHOTEX OF HMS OCEAN - 24/8/11 Image shows an aerial view of HMS Ocean whilst accompanying the French ship Mistral
- 857 NAS
  
  SEA KING DECK LANDING PRACTICE - 22/7/11 Image shows a SeaKing from 857 NAS on deck during OP Ellamy, the UK's contribution in support of UN Resolution 1973.
- 857 NAS
  
  SEA KING DECK LANDING PRACTICE - 22/7/11 Image shows a SeaKing from 857 NAS on deck during OP Ellamy, the UK's contribution in support of UN Resolution 1973. Also in shot are a Lynx Mk7 and a Seaking Mk4.
- 857 NAS
  
  SEAKING MK7 ON DECK - 3/6/11 Image shows a Seaking Mk7 from 857 NAS on the deck of HMS Ocean during its participation of OP Ellamy, the UK's operation in support of UN resolutin 1973.

UNITS IN TIME

857 Naval Air Squadron HISTORY

TRACK THE HISTORY OF SHIPS NAMED 857 Naval Air Squadron

A Torpedo Bomber Squadron

The squadron was originally formed in April 1944 as a torpedo-bomber squadron flying Grumman Avengers.
Battle Honours

Its aircraft attacked oil refineries at Palembang as well as targets around Okinawa, the East China Sea and Formosa (today Taiwan), before spending the last days of the conflict in Hong Kong where it fought off Japanese suicide boats.
War's End

Within three months of the war’s end, the squadron was disbanded. It only stood up again in December 2006 when 849 Naval Air Squadron was divided; its Bee Flight became the core of 857.

1944
1945
2006

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857 Naval Air Squadron