No. 1312 Flight RAF

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No. 1312 Flight RAF
Active	April 1944 - July 1944 1954-1957 1983-present
Role	Aerial refueling and air transport
Garrison/HQ	RAF Mount Pleasant
Motto	None
Equipment	1 C-130 Hercules 1 Vickers VC10
Insignia
Identification symbol	None

No. 1312 Flight is an independent flight of the Royal Air Force supporting the defence of the Falkland Islands

While the UK officially does not foresee any threat to the Falkland Islands, it maintains significant military forces as a deterrent against any aggressor. These forces also protect South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The Royal Air Force contribution to this deterrent is based at RAF Mount Pleasant, the primary component of which is No. 1435 Flight, with its four Tornado F3s providing air defence.

1312 Flight operates in support of this force providing aerial refuelling, air transport, search and rescue and maritime patrol. The latter is an important mission to the Falkland Islands government as the Hercules verifies that all fishing vessels are licensed; at £1,000 per licence per season this is an important source of income.

[edit] History

The flight was first formed on 19 April 1944 as No. 1312 Transport Flight at RAF Llandow. It operated 6 Avro Ansons to collect and deliver aircrew involved in the ferrying replacement aircraft. After June 1944 it was involved in transporting wounded serviceman back to England from France until it was disbanded on 21 July 1944.

The flight was re-formed on 14 September 1954 as No. 1312 (Transport Support) Flight operating the Handley Page Hastings and later the Vickers Valetta. It was disbanded on 1 April 1957.

No. 1312 Flight re-formed again on the 20 August 1983 at Stanley before moving to the newly opened Mount Pleasant in 1986. The original task was to operate the Lockheed Hercules on air-to-air refueling missions but these were later replaced by VC-10s (borrowed from 101 Squadron) and Hercules from the Lyneham Wing.