No. 84 Squadron RAF
| No. 84 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 7 Jan 1917 – 30 January 1920 13 Aug 1920 – 20 February 1953 20 Feb 1953 – 31 October 1971 17 Jan 1972 – present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Multi-role helicopter support |
| Part of | British Forces Cyprus |
| Home station | RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus |
| Motto(s) | Scorpiones pungunt (Latin for 'Scorpions sting') |
| Battle honours |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron badge heraldry | A scorpion, reflecting the squadron's long association with the Middle East. Approved by King George VI in December 1936. |
| Squadron codes | UR (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) VA (Sep 1939 – Mar 1941) PY (Jan 1945 – Dec 1946) ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ (Wessex and Griffin) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Multirole helicopter | Westland/Airbus Helicopters Puma HC.2 (until March 2025) |
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri. The squadron transitioned from the previously operated Bell Griffin HAR.2 to operate the Puma HC.2 in 2023, until the Puma's retirement in 2025.
Although originally formed at Beaulieu in 1917 as part of the RFC, it was already in France when the RAF came into being, and as of 2024, 84 Squadron is the only remaining RAF squadron that spent its entire service history abroad. It is currently one of the two operational parts of the RAF Search and Rescue Force left in service (the other being the RAF Mountain Rescue Service) after the stand-down of the UK effort on 5 October 2015.