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| No. 1312 Flight RAF | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | No. 1312 Flight RAF |
| Dates | Established 1944; reformed 1988; active |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Air transport and support |
| Command structure | RAF Brize Norton (parent) |
| Garrison | RAF Mount Pleasant (current operations) |
| Identification symbol | Polar bear emblem (informal) |
No. 1312 Flight RAF is a Royal Air Force unit tasked with long-range transport and support to British interests in the South Atlantic, operating to provide logistics, personnel movement and contingency support for the Falkland Islands and adjacent waters. The flight links strategic locations such as RAF Brize Norton, RAF Mount Pleasant, Mount Pleasant Complex, Stanley, and Ascension Island while maintaining interoperability with units including No. 47 Squadron, No. 216 Squadron, the Falkland Islands Defence Force, and NATO partners.
Formed during World War II amid the Western Front and the Burma Campaign, the flight traces administrative antecedents to RAF commands such as RAF Transport Command, RAF Coastal Command, and the Air Ministry as signals of mid-20th century force structure. Post-war drawdowns and Cold War realignments saw associated units like No. 216 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron reshaped under Ministry of Defence direction and influenced by events including the Falklands War, the South Atlantic crisis, and the 1982 Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. Re-established in the late 20th century to support British Forces South Atlantic, the flight has since operated alongside elements of Joint Forces Command, the British Army, the Royal Navy, and civilian contractors such as AirTanker.
The flight provides strategic and tactical air transport in support of British Forces South Atlantic, the Falkland Islands Government, and the Civil Administration of the Falkland Islands, enabling personnel rotation, medical evacuation, search and rescue coordination, and humanitarian assistance in response to incidents involving vessels like the RMS St Helena, research programmes such as the British Antarctic Survey, and fisheries patrols coordinated with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Operations require integration with NATO airlift doctrines, UK Strategic Command logistics planning, and cooperation with agencies such as the Falkland Islands Government, the British Antarctic Survey, Royal Navy Task Groups, and international partners including Argentina in fisheries management incidents and United Nations maritime frameworks.
The flight has historically used a range of transport types aligned with RAF transport capability, including variants of the Lockheed Hercules family, the Vickers VC10, the Handley Page Hastings, and modern Boeing platforms employed by associated squadrons such as No. 47 Squadron and No. 216 Squadron. Aircraft common to South Atlantic logistics missions include the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III operated by RAF Brize Norton elements, and civil-military airframes chartered via companies like AirTanker and AAR Corp for workforce rotation to Mount Pleasant and Ascension Island. Each type supports roles similar to those conducted by the Royal Australian Air Force Hercules flights and the United States Air Force air mobility units.
Primary basing and forward deployment sites associated with the flight include RAF Mount Pleasant on East Falkland, Ascension Island’s Wideawake Airfield, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, and forward operating points such as RAF Stanley and temporary anchorage points used by the Royal Navy. Deployments have been coordinated with headquarters such as UK Strategic Command, Joint Forces Command, Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood, and liaison elements in the Falkland Islands Government and the British Embassy network, with logistic chains extending to the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and the South Atlantic island chain.
Notable missions include sustained post-1982 rota flights supporting the Falklands garrison, medical evacuations coordinated with search and rescue units and the Falkland Islands Emergency Medical Services, and contingency repatriation operations during civil emergencies and maritime incidents involving research vessels and commercial shipping. Incidents of operational note have required close coordination with Royal Navy ships such as HMS Illustrious and HMS Endurance, and with multinational entities during periods of heightened tension around the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The flight’s organisation mirrors RAF small-unit structures with command posts liaising with the British Forces South Atlantic Islands headquarters, personnel drawn from RAF Regiment, RAF Logistics, RAF Medical Branch, RAF Air Mobility Force, and attached specialists from the Civil Aviation Authority-contracted civilian aircrews. Command relationships include reporting lines into RAF Brize Norton chains of command and operational control elements attached to Permanent Joint Headquarters and the local Governor of the Falkland Islands, with personnel exchanges common with No. 47 Squadron, No. 216 Squadron, and allied air transport units.
Insignia and traditions reflect South Atlantic service heritage, drawing on symbols used across RAF squadrons and flights with historical ties to polar and maritime service such as polar bear motifs, unit standards maintained in theatre, and commemorations aligned with Falklands Conflict memorial events, Remembrance Sunday, and joint-service ceremonies involving the Falkland Islands Defence Force, British Legion, and visiting dignitaries.
Category:Royal Air Force units and formations