No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the second UK squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon. The squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Typhoon.

The squadron previously operated the English Electric Lightning until 1974 and the F-4 Phantom. A detachment was provided for the defence of the Falklands after the Falklands War following repairs to the airfield at Stanley. In 1987, 29 Sqn was one of the first units to receive the Tornado F3. It flew the Tornado until disbanding in 1998, as part of the Strategic Defence Review.

The first Typhoon T1 entered service with No. 17 Squadron in mid 2003. Both squadrons are expected to move to RAF Coningsby in 2005, where No. 3 Squadron is to establish an initial operational capability by 2006/2007. Coningsby has received massive infrastructure upgrades prior to the type's arrival.

Typhoon squadrons

Operational

• No. XVII Squadron (Operational Evaluation Unit) - BAE Warton
• No. 29 Squadron (Operation Conversion Unit) - BAE Warton

Future

• No. 3 Squadron RAF - Current Harrier GR7 squadron - Reforming at RAF Coningsby (Tranche 1)
• No. 11 Squadron RAF - Current Tornado F3 squadron - Reforming at RAF Leeming (Tranche 1)
• No. 6 Squadron RAF - Current Jaguar GR3 squadron - Reforming at RAF Leuchars (Tranche 2)

See also

• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

External links

• RAF Squadron page (http://www.raf.mod.uk/squadrons/h29.html)
• Official Eurofighter site (http://www.eurofighter.com/)