| No. 8 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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)[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 |
|
| 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.