Number 70 Squadron
LXX Squadron fly the A400M Atlas and are based at RAF Brize Norton, the home of Royal Air Force air transport and air-to-air refuelling capabilities.
The Squadron was formed at Farnborough in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, flying numerous types of aircraft including the Camel, Liberator VI, Dakota, and the C-130 Hercules.
At the heart of the air mobility fleet, LXX Squadron has provided vital support to the UK relief effort in the Caribbean after hurricane Irma, and was heavily involved in Operation PITTING, the non-combatant evacuation operation in Afghanistan in 2021.
Hercules to Atlas
The squadron reformed on 1 October 2014 after a four year hiatus, and was officially “stood up” on 24 July 2015 by presentation with a new standard by Princess Anne, becoming the Royal Air Force’s first frontline A400M squadron.
It has since been involved in Op Ruman, providing humanitarian aid relief after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
In August 2021, the squadron was deployed forward Al Minhad airbase in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, sending two aircraft to assist with Operation Pitting. This was the largest Royal Air Force airlift since the Berlin Airlift, helping to evacuate British Nationals and vulnerable Afghanis from Kabul Airport.
