21st century RAF Benson
a raf agustawestland merlin hc3a.
the strategic defence , security review 2010 recommended in order replace navy s ageing westland sea king hc4 s, raf s agustawestland aw101 merlin fleet should transferred royal navy s commando helicopter force. gain experience of operating , maintaining merlin, royal navy aircrew , engineers integrated merlin force @ benson during 2012.
the fleet officially handed on navy during ceremony @ benson on 30 september 2014. attended royal highnesses duke of york, commodore-in-chief of fleet air arm, , prince michael of kent, honorary air marshal of raf benson. air chief marshal sir andrew pulford , 1st sea lord , chief of naval staff, admiral sir george zambellas present. ceremony marked disbandment of no. 78 squadron , s replacement 846 naval air squadron (nas).
during july 2015 845 naval air squadron reformed , replaced no. 28 squadron disbanded. last phases of transition began when 846 nas moved rnas yeovilton on 26 march 2015. final merlin (serial number zj131) along 845 nas departed on 16 june 2016, bringing 15 years of merlin operations @ benson close.
in 2015, announced chinook operational conversion flight transfer raf odiham, in hampshire, benson in late autumn .
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