Naval Strike Wing

The Naval Strike Wing (NSW) was a flying unit of the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It consisted of elements of both 800 and 801 Naval Air Squadrons, but operated as a single unit. It was equipped with Harrier GR7 and GR9 aircraft and its role was close air support. At the time was the only front line fast jet squadron for the Royal Navy.

History
The Naval Strike Wing (NSW) was formed on 9 March 2007 (following the re-forming of 800 Naval Air Squadron in 2006, and 801 Naval Air Squadron on 9 March 2007). It included elements of 801 and 800 Naval Air Squadrons, amalgamated into a single operational unit for deployment either on land or aboard the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers. Equipped with the GR.7 and GR.9 variants of the British Aerospace Harrier II, a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft, it was based at RAF Cottesmore, NSW was the Naval component of Joint Force Harrier.

In January 2008 the Naval Strike Wing embarked in HMS Illustrious (R06) as the Invincible-class aircraft carrier light aircraft carrier led a multi-national Task Group to the Indian Ocean on a four month operation, including taking part in exercise ‘Orion 08’. The NSW deployment consisted of four Harrier jet aircraft, seven pilots along with sixty engineers and technicians.

On 1 April 2010, NSW reverted to the identity of 800 Naval Air Squadron, flying the Harrier GR9 and GR9A variants. Following the decision to withdraw the Harrier from service in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, a Harrier GR9 made its last flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal (R07), on 24 November 2010.

Force Commanders
List of commanding officers of Naval Strike Wing (NSW):


 * Commander A.P. Orchard, RN, from 9 March 2007
 * Commander K.W. Seymour, RN, from 6 June 2007
 * Commander D.J. Lindsay, RN, from 29 April 2009
 * became 800 Naval Air Squadron - 1 April 2010