During Tim’s time in the seat, the squadron has seen deployments to Scotland in support of Exercise Joint Warrior and further afield to Albania where they were flying as part of the Fleet’s Rapid Deployment Force.
Tim moves onto a new appointment in the Fixed Wing Force at Culdrose.
Lt Cdr Barry Issitt was born in 1976 and raised on the South Coast until, at the age of 15, he emigrated to Australia.
Having lived and worked in Australia for 8 years he joined the Royal Navy in January 2000.
Graduating from Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth in December 2000, he returned to Australia to serve with the British Defence Liaison Service in Canberra before completing Basic Flying training.
Selected for fixed wing training, Barry was awarded RN Pilot’s Wings in 2002, subsequently completing Advanced Flying Training and Tactical Weapons training on Hawk T1 at RAF Valley prior to a posting to 20(R) Squadron at RAF Wittering for operational conversion to the Harrier GR7 in 2005.
Upon completion, he moved to 1(F) Squadron at RAF Cottesmore flying Harrier GR7/9.
Whilst serving on Joint Force Harrier he undertook a number of operational tours in Afghanistan on Op HERRICK, a personal highlight of which was aiding the location and destruction of the world’s largest narcotics cache (worth an estimated £225 million).
Additionally he became qualified as a Harrier GR7/9 Electronic Warfare Instructor as well as completing embarked training and carrier qualification on HMS Illustrious.
Selected to become a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) he returned to RAF Valley and graduated with distinction from the Central Flying School in 2009.
Having taken up an instructional role at 208(R) Squadron teaching both RN and RAF pilots on the Hawk T1, he was subsequently assigned the position of Senior Naval Officer RAF Valley.
After the withdrawal of the Harrier from UK service in 2010, Lt Cdr Issitt undertook an exchange appointment with the French Navy, flying the venerable Super Etendard Modernisé with 17F at BAN Landivisiau (The French Fleet Air Arm Base in Brittany) becoming the first Royal Navy pilot to qualify on the type.
Following this, he returned to the UK to join the Navy Headquarters Carrier Strike division as the Lightning II desk officer, responsible for aiding the integration of F-35B with the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, a role that culminated in becoming the inaugural recipient of the HMS Queen Elizabeth aviation sword.
“It’s a great honour to command 736 Naval Air Squadron,” said Lt Cdr Barry Issitt.
“The next few years are going to be very busy for the Fixed Wing Force and Culdrose’s Hawks in particular.
“I look forward to the challenges ahead and flying from one of the Nation’s Key ‘Core Air Stations’.”
