{{Short description|Military aviation unit}} {{Other uses| Squadron (disambiguation){{!}}Squadron}} {{Redirect|Fighter squadron|the film|Fighter Squadron|the video game|Fighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons Over Europe}} [[File:51st fighter interceptor wing at suwon, s.k.jpg|thumb|300px|A [[United States Air Force]] [[F-86 Sabre]] squadron during the [[Korean War]], 1951]] {{Air force units}}
A '''squadron''' in an [[air force]], or [[naval aviation|naval]] or [[army aviation]] service, is a [[Military unit|unit]] comprising a number of [[military aircraft]] and their [[aircrews]], usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four [[flight (military unit)|flight]]s, depending on aircraft type and air force.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Aviation |first=David W. |last=Wragg |isbn=9780850451634 |edition=first |publisher=Osprey |year=1973 |page=249}}</ref>
In most armed forces, two or more squadrons will form a [[group (air force unit)|group]] or a [[Wing (air force unit)|wing]]. Some military forces (including the [[United States Air Force]], [[United States Space Force]], [[French Air and Space Force]], [[Royal Air Force]], [[German Air Force]], [[Royal Netherlands Air Force]], [[Belgian Air Force]] and [[Republic of Singapore Air Force]]) also use the term "squadron" for non-flying ground units (e.g. radar squadrons, missile squadrons, air defense squadrons, aircraft maintenance squadrons, security forces squadrons, civil engineering squadrons, range operations squadrons, range management squadrons, weather squadrons, medical squadrons, etc.). {{TOC limit|limit=3}}
== Comparative organization == {{Air force organization of selected NATO countries}}
== Germany == {{see also|Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Staffel}} In World War I, the Imperial German Army used the term Squadron ({{lang|de|staffel}}), whereas the Austro-Hungarian armed forces and the Swiss Army used the term [[Company (military unit)|company]]. In the modern [[German Air Force]], a flying {{lang|de|staffel}} is a battalion-equivalent, while a ground based support {{lang|de|staffel}} is a company-equivalent. One such example are the air base defence units, which are squadrons ([[German language|German]], plural: {{lang|de|Staffeln}}) formed into battalions. The ground based missile air defence units are also company- (in this case [[Artillery battery|battery]]-)equivalent squadrons ({{lang|de|staffeln}}).
== Sweden == The [[Swedish Air Force]] adopted naval-like traditions in its formative years and for that historical reason calls its squadrons [[Division (naval)|divisions]] (plural: {{lang|sv|divisioner}}). They are grouped into [[Flotilla|air flotillas]] (plural: {{lang|sv|flygflottiljer}}). During the Cold War the Swedish Army, Navy and Air Force each had their own integral helicopter arms. After the end of it in line with the mid-90s force reduction and reforms they were fused into the [[Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing]] as a service, independent from the three main armed forces branches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/hkpflj/ |title=Helikopterflottiljen |trans-title=Helicopter flotilla |website=Försvarsmakten |language=sv}}</ref> The Helicopter Wing adopted the term ''skvadron'' from the former Swedish Army Aviation for its units, which is squadron in its army company-equivalent meaning. In the early 2000s, the Swedish Air Force absorbed the Helicopter Wing as its fourth combat air wing. Unlike the US Air Force, where the name of the base and the units stationed at that base are not related to each other, the name of the wing (flotilla) is in general considered synonymous with the air base where the unit is stationed. For example, the air base where the F 10 wing is stationed (in Ängelholm) is commonly referred to as F 10 even though it is the name of the tactical unit. In general, this only applies as long as a wing is stationed at the base. Case in point is Uppsala-Ärna air base, an active military airport but since the tactical unit located there has been disbanded it is no longer referred to as F 16. These naming conventions have been inherited from the navy where Swedish military aviation has its roots.
== United Kingdom and Commonwealth == During the infant years of combat aviation in [[World War I]] and specifically with the trench stalemate at the front military aircraft partially took over the reconnaissance role from the cavalry. With that in mind the British [[Royal Flying Corps]] adopted the ''[[Squadron (army)|squadron]]'' nomenclature. After the fusion of the [[Royal Flying Corps]] and the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] into an independent [[Royal Air Force]], the new armed forces branch introduced its own system of ranks, with the commanders of squadrons becoming [[squadron leader]]s.
The rapid sophistication in technology and combat tactics has led to increased requirements and qualifications of the officers in command positions and the commanders of RAF flying squadrons were upgraded in the post-World War II period from squadron leaders to [[wing commander]]s. Today RAF flying squadrons are [[battalion]]-equivalents, while combat and combat service support ground squadrons such as communications or administrative squadrons are [[Company (military unit)|company]]-equivalents and still usually commanded by squadron leaders.
During the Second World War, a British fighter squadron was a fighting strength of 12 aircraft; this was achieved with about 16 aircraft and 20 pilots assigned to each squadron so the full force could be flown at any time. The squadron was subdivided into two [[Flight (military unit)|flights]] - A and B, and then into sections of two or three aircraft - Red and Yellow, Blue and Green - for operations.<ref>{{cite book |last=Robinson |first= Anthony |date= 1999 |orig-year=1987 |title= RAF Fighter Squadrons in the Battle of Britain |publisher=Brockhampton Press |page= 22 |isbn= 1860199070}}</ref>
Flying units in the [[Fleet Air Arm]] and [[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] are also called squadrons. In the latter they are company-equivalent units, divided into flights and grouped into [[regiment]]s.
In the [[Air Training Corps]] of the United Kingdom and many [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations, a squadron is a group of [[cadet]]s who parade regularly.
== United States == In the [[United States Air Force]], the squadron is the principal organizational unit.<ref>{{cite letter|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/article/873161/csaf-letter-to-airmen/|recipient=Airmen|author=David L. Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff |subject=Squadrons|date=9 August 2016}}</ref> An aggregation of two or more USAF squadrons will be designated as a [[Group (military aviation unit)|group]] and two or more groups will be designated as a [[Wing (military aviation unit)|wing]].<ref name=af138_101>{{cite report|title=AIR FORCE ORGANIZATION – Manpower and Organization|date=29 August 2019|publisher=Secretary Of The Air Force|url=https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi38-101/afi38-101.pdf|ID=Air Force Instruction 38–101, AF/A1MR}}</ref>
USAF squadrons may be flying units composed of pilots and flight crews, with designations such as fighter squadron, bomb squadron, or airlift squadron. Fighter squadrons may support between 18 and 24 aircraft, while squadrons flying larger aircraft (e.g., bomber, cargo, reconnaissance) may support fewer aircraft. However, non-flying units also exist at the squadron level, such as missile squadrons, aircraft maintenance squadrons, intelligence squadrons, aerospace medicine squadrons, security forces squadrons, civil engineering squadrons and force support squadrons, as well as numerous other examples.<ref name=af138_101/>
USAF flying squadrons are typically commanded by an aeronautically rated officer in the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]], although some particularly large squadrons, such as the [[414th Combat Training Squadron]] that manages [[Exercise Red Flag|Red Flag]] training at [[Nellis AFB]], Nevada will be commanded by an aeronautically rated officer in the rank of full [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/815268/preparing-the-thunder/ | title=Preparing the thunder |last=Steffen |first=Ashley N. |date=June 24, 2016 |website=Air Combat Command}}</ref> Non-flying squadrons are also usually commanded by an officer in the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]], but some may also be commanded by officers in the rank of [[Major (United States)|major]].
{{details|topic=U.S. Navy squadrons|Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons}}
In contrast to the organizational structure of [[United States Air Force]] units, where flying squadrons are separate from non-flying squadrons tasked with administrative, aircraft maintenance, or other support functions, flying squadrons in naval aviation in the United States (e.g., [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps]]) typically contain both embedded administrative support functions and organizational level aircraft maintenance functions, plus all their associated personnel, as part of the total squadron manning.<ref name="Nott-NAG">Nott, Richard C., ed.; The Naval Aviation Guide, 4th ed; Naval Institute Press; Annapolis, MD; {{ISBN|0-87021-409-8}}; 1985, pp. 70–90</ref> With few exceptions, oversight of the majority of these non-flying functions is assigned to the squadron's [[naval aviator]]s and [[naval flight officer]]s as their "ground job" in addition to their regular flying duties.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Foreign Policy |last=McCain |first=Jack |date=24 April 2017 |title=A Navy pilot's take: The Air Force doesn't have a pilot crisis, it has a leadership crisis |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/24/a-navy-pilots-take-the-air-force-doesnt-have-a-pilot-crisis-it-has-a-leadership-crisis/}}</ref>
With few exceptions, most U.S. Navy flying squadrons are commanded by aeronautically designated officers in the rank of [[Commander (United States)|commander]]. Exceptions are primarily the Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS), which are often, though not always, commanded by aeronautically designated [[Captain (United States O-6)|captains]]. Commanding officers (COs) of U.S. Navy flying squadrons other than FRS units will be assisted by an executive officer (XO) of the same rank who functions as a second-in-command and who will eventually "fleet up" and relieve the CO as the next CO.<ref name="Nott-NAG" />
In [[United States Marine Corps Aviation]], in addition to flying units that are patterned in similar fashion to their U.S. Navy counterparts, the nomenclature "squadron" in the Marine Corps is also used to designate all battalion-equivalent, aviation support organizations. These squadrons include: wing headquarters, tactical air command, air control, air support, aviation logistics, wing support, and wing communications squadrons. In contrast to their USN counterparts, USMC flying squadrons and aviation support squadrons, while having a commanding officer (CO) at the [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] level, may not have an equivalent rank executive officer (XO), but are moving more toward the USN model. USMC aviation (Flying) squadron XO's are aeronautically designated officers in the rank of Lt.Col or Major.
Also in contrast to USAF flying squadrons, most tactical sea-based and land-based U.S. Naval Aviation squadrons (USN and USMC), vice training squadrons and test and evaluation squadrons, usually do not have more than 12 aircraft authorized/assigned at any one time. Exceptions are USN helicopter mine countermeasures squadrons (17 MH-53), USMC "composite" medium tilt-rotor squadrons assigned afloat as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), (12 MV-22s, 6 AH-1s, 4 CH-53s, 3 UH-1s, and 6 AV-8s). Other squadrons with a large number of Primary Aircraft Assigned (PAA) include Marine heavy helicopter squadrons (16 CH-53s), Marine light/attack helicopter squadrons (18 AH-1s and 9 UH-1s), and Marine attack squadrons (16 AV-8s).
Although part of U.S. naval aviation, [[United States Coast Guard]] aviation units are centered on an air station or air facility versus a squadron or group/wing organizational structure. The one exception to this is the Coast Guard's Helicopter Interdiction Squadron (HITRON), which is engaged primarily in counter-narcotics (CN) interdiction operations.<ref>Goodspeed, M. Hill & Burgess, Rick, eds.; U.S. Naval Aviation; Naval Aviation Museum Foundation & Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc; Pensacola, FL; {{ISBN|0-88363-102-4}}; 2001, pp. 238–254</ref>
In the [[United States Army Aviation Branch]], flying units may be organized in battalions or squadrons (the latter for air cavalry only) reporting to an aviation brigade. Aircraft maintenance activities are typically assigned to an aviation maintenance company or element in the battalion or brigade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/aviation/ |publisher=U.S. Army|title=Army Aviation Beginnings}}</ref>
In the U.S. [[Civil Air Patrol]] (CAP), a squadron is the basic administrative unit. As the official civilian auxiliary of the [[U.S. Air Force]], CAP follows the USAF organizational model.
== Other countries == An {{lang|fr|escadron}} is the equivalent unit in France's [[French Air and Space Force]] ({{lang|fr|Armée de l'air et de l'espace}}). It is normally subdivided into {{lang|fr|[[escadrille]]s}} of eight aircraft. The [[Spanish Air and Space Force]] and some air forces of other [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-speaking countries follow that tradition (with a squadron called an {{lang|es|escuadron}} and a flight called an {{lang|es|escuadrilla}}), as does the [[Brazilian Air Force]] with {{lang|pt-BR|esquadrão}} and {{lang|pt-BR|esquadrilha}} respectively.
The [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] and the [[Belgian Air Component]] on the other hand use {{lang|fr|escadrille}} as the equivalent of a squadron. The [[Italian Air Force]] uses {{lang|it|gruppo}} (group) to denominate its squadrons, as does the [[Chilean Air Force]] ({{lang|es-CL|grupo de aviación}}). The [[Portuguese Air Force]] ({{lang|pt-PT|esquadra}}) and the [[Polish Air Force]] ({{langx|label=none|pl|eskadra taktyczna||tactical squadron}}) use the term squadron with its etymology originating from the [[Squadron (naval)|naval]] and not the [[Squadron (army)|army]] meaning. The [[Czech Air Force]] and the [[Slovak Air Force]] use the generic term {{lang|cs|Letka}} as the squadron equivalent. The [[Turkish Air Force]] ({{lang|tr|filo}}) and the [[Hellenic Air Force]] ({{langx|label=none|he|μοιρα αεροπορικής|mira aeroporikis|aviation squadron}}) use the squadron denomination originating from the army term. The [[Royal Norwegian Air Force]] use the {{lang|no|skvadron}} term also originating from the army term. So does the [[Hungarian Air Force]] with {{lang for|paren=left|hu|repülőszázad|aircraft squadron}} or 'flying squadron'; the cavalry company-equivalent term is {{lang|hu|század}}).
Many Eastern European countries use the term originating from the French word {{lang|fr|escadrille}}: * [[Russian Air Force]] – {{langx|label=none|ru|Эскадрилья|eskadril'ya}}, * [[Belarusian Air Force]] – {{langx|label=none|be|Эскадрыльля|eskadryil'ya}}, * [[Ukrainian Air Force]] – {{langx|label=none|uk|Ескадрилья|eskadril'ya}}, * [[Romanian Air Force]] – {{lang|ro|escadrilă}}, * [[Bulgarian Air Force]] – {{langx|label=none|bg|Ескадрила|eskadrila}}, * [[Serbian Air Force and Air Defence|Serbian Air Force]] – {{langx|label=none|sr|Ескадрила|eskadrila}}, * [[Croatian Air Force and Air Defence|Croatian Air Force]] – {{lang|hr|eskadrila}}. The [[Royal Danish Air Force]] uses {{lang|da|eskadrille}}, also originating from the French {{lang|fr|escadrille}}.
== See also == * [[Naval air squadron]] * [[Flight (military unit)]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Aerial warfare]] [[Category:Air force units and formations]]