No. 3 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Squadron, or No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, is a Royal Air Force unit based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. It flies the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 as a multi‑role fighter and is part of the RAF’s Combat Air Force. Its motto is Tertius primus erit – “The third shall be the first” – and its badge shows a cockatrice on a stone monolith, reflecting Stonehenge near its original base.
History in brief:
- Formed in 1912, the first British unit to fly heavier‑than‑air aircraft. It did reconnaissance, artillery spotting, aerial photography, and night flying.
- World War I: served in France, using Morane Parasols and later fighters; many enemy aircraft were claimed; disbanded in 1919. Nine aces served.
- Inter‑war and World War II: reformed in the 1920s, served in Africa and Europe; at Biggin Hill in WWII, fought in France in 1940, then across northern Europe, flying Hurricanes, Typhoons and Tempests, with ground‑attack and anti‑shipping roles.
- Postwar to late 20th century: flew jets (Vampire, Sabre, Hunter, Javelin, Canberra); based in Germany for many years, then back to the UK and into Joint Force Harrier with the Fleet Air Arm; missions included Kosovo (1999), Sierra Leone (2000), and Iraq (2003).
- Modern era: moved to RAF Coningsby on 1 April 2006 and became the RAF’s first frontline Typhoon squadron, with Typhoons in service from 2007. Took on Quick Reaction Alert duties from the Tornado F3 in 2007. Supported operations in Libya (2011), defended London during the 2012 Olympics, and deployed to Romania (2017), Greece (2018), and Oman (2019).
- Peacetime call signs: Brutal, Chaos, Hulk, Nightmare and Rampage (as of March 2025).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:58 (CET).