No. 8 Squadron RAF

No. 8 Squadron RAF
No. 8 Squadron RAF
	Squadron badge
Active	1 January 1915 – 1 April 1918 (RFC); 1 April 1918 – 20 January 1920 (RAF); 18 October 1920 – 1 May 1945; 15 May 1945 – 15 November 1945; 1 September 1946 – 21 December 1971; 1 January 1972 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Airborne early warning and control
Part of	No. 1 Group (Air Combat)
Home station	RAF Lossiemouth (after reforming 2024)
Motto(s)	Uspiam et passim; (Latin for 'Everywhere unbounded')
Mascot(s)	Augustus (A European Eagle Owl)
Aircraft	E-7 Wedgetail (entering service from 2025)
Battle honours	Western Front (1914–1918); Loos (1915); Somme (1916); Arras (1917); Cambrai (1917); Somme (1918); Amiens (1918); Hindenburg Line (1918); Kurdistan (1922–1924); Aden (1928); Aden (1929); Aden (1934); East Africa (1940–1941); Eastern Waters (1942–1945); Kosovo (1999); Afghanistan (2001–2014); Iraq (2003); Libya (2011);
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A sheathed Arabian dagger known as a jambiya, adopted in recognition of the unit's long association with Arabia. The weapon is sheathed to symbolise the squadron's guardian duties. Approved by King George VI in December 1943.
Squadron roundel

Number 8 Squadron (sometimes written as No. VIII Squadron) of the Royal Air Force last operated the Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 (AWACS) from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. As of 2020, the RAF AWACS fleet was made up of three Sentry AEW1s, down from seven originally ordered in the late 1980s.^[4] Pursuant to the 2021 defence review, the E-3D Sentry aircraft made its final flight in U.K. service in August 2021.^[5]

It was announced in July 2019 that from the early 2020s the squadron will be the first to operate the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW1, the planned replacement for the RAF's E-3D Sentry fleet.^[6] The squadron was to reform at RAF Lossiemouth in 2024 but service entry was reported as likely in late 2025.^[7]

^ Bozyk, Piotr (10 October 2022). "RAF Lossiemouth Base preparing for arrival of UK E-7 Wedgetail fleet".
^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 243. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
^ Allison, George (16 March 2024). "E-7 Wedgetail to enter service next year". U.K. Defence Journal.
^ "Ministry of Defence: The Equipment Plan 2019 to 2029" (PDF). National Audit Office. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
^ "RAF E-3D Sentry returning to Waddington after final mission". The Lincolnite. 4 August 2021.
^ "Boeing Names STS Aviation Services in Birmingham as Key Wedgetail Supplier". Boeing. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
^ Allison, George (16 March 2024). "E-7 Wedgetail to enter service next year". U.K. Defence Journal.

[1] Bozyk, Piotr (10 October 2022). "RAF Lossiemouth Base preparing for arrival of UK E-7 Wedgetail fleet".

[2] Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 243. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.

[3] Allison, George (16 March 2024). "E-7 Wedgetail to enter service next year". U.K. Defence Journal.

[4] "Ministry of Defence: The Equipment Plan 2019 to 2029" (PDF). National Audit Office. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.

[5] "RAF E-3D Sentry returning to Waddington after final mission". The Lincolnite. 4 August 2021.

[6] "Boeing Names STS Aviation Services in Birmingham as Key Wedgetail Supplier". Boeing. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.

[7] Allison, George (16 March 2024). "E-7 Wedgetail to enter service next year". U.K. Defence Journal.

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No. 8 Squadron RAF
Squadron badge
Active	1 January 1915 (1915-01-01) – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 20 January 1920 (RAF) 18 October 1920 – 1 May 1945 15 May 1945 – 15 November 1945 1 September 1946 – 21 December 1971 1 January 1972 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying squadron
Role	Airborne early warning and control
Part of	No. 1 Group (Air Combat)
Home station	RAF Lossiemouth (after reforming 2024)^[1]
Motto(s)	Uspiam et passim (Latin for 'Everywhere unbounded')^[2]
Mascot(s)	Augustus (A European Eagle Owl)
Aircraft	E-7 Wedgetail (entering service from 2025)^[3]
Battle honours	Western Front (1914–1918) Loos (1915) Somme (1916) Arras (1917) Cambrai (1917) Somme (1918) Amiens (1918) Hindenburg Line (1918) Kurdistan (1922–1924) Aden (1928) Aden (1929) Aden (1934) East Africa (1940–1941) Eastern Waters (1942–1945) Kosovo (1999) Afghanistan (2001–2014) Iraq (2003) Libya (2011)
Insignia
Squadron badge heraldry	A sheathed Arabian dagger known as a jambiya, adopted in recognition of the unit's long association with Arabia. The weapon is sheathed to symbolise the squadron's guardian duties. Approved by King George VI in December 1943.
Squadron roundel