THE LEGENDARY Dambusters squadron has been reformed in the USA, writes Matthew Curry. In a ceremony at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier reformed 617 Squadron in its 75th anniversary year, and 617 will be the first operational RAF squadron to fly the new F-35B Lightning II. The F-35B is the UK’s first 5th generation aircraft, with advanced stealth characteristics, digital systems and high performance.
The UK is the only tier one partner, working with the USA to produce the F-35B, and 15% of each aircraft (by value) is made in the UK. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said “By flying the world’s most advanced fighter jets, our new squadron will be ensuring that the legend of world-leading air power lives on.”
617 Squadron is most famous for its role in Operation ‘Chastise’, the Dams Raid (Britain at War, April 2018) and later continued as a specialist precision bombing squadron. As part of 5 Group, RAF Bomber Command, it attacked the battleship Tirpitz, hardened submarine pens on the Atlantic coast, and railways - using some of the largest ever air-dropped bombs, Tallboy (12,000lb) and Grand Slam (22,000lb).
The ceremony took place in the USA, reflecti…
