849 Naval Air Squadron
| 849 Naval Air Squadron | |
|---|---|
Squadron badge | |
| Active | 1943-1945, 1952-1978, 1984-2020 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Type | Carrier based squadron |
| Role | Airborne Early Warning |
| Size | 3 flights |
| Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
| Garrison/HQ | RNAS Culdrose |
| Motto(s) | Primus video (Latin: "The first to see") |
| Anniversaries | none |
| Engagements | Normandy 1944, Palembang 1945, Okinawa 1945, Japan 1945, Iraq 2003 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | L/C(A) K G Sharp RN Lt Cdr Charles Gidley Wheeler (Senior Pilot, 1969-1970) |
849 Naval Air Squadron (849 NAS), also referred to as 849 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Merlin HM2 from February until April 2020.
It was formed during the Second World War as an aircraft carrier based torpedo-bomber, unit, flying missions against Japanese targets in the Far East. Its service since the Second World War has been as an airborne early warning squadron, flying fixed winged Douglas Skyraiders and Fairey Gannets from the Royal Navy's fixed wing carriers from 1952 until 1978, and airborne early warning Westland Sea King helicopters from 1982 to 2018.