728B Naval Air Squadron (728B NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) which disbanded in December 1961. It first formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit at HMS Goldfinch, RNAS Takali in January 1945, with Miles Martinet and Supermarine Seafire aircraft, but disbanded in July. It reformed in the United Kingdom in January 1958 at HMS Blackcap, RNAS Stretton, as a Pilotless Drone Target Unit and moved to Malta towards the end of February 1958, becoming operational at HMS Falcon, RNAS Hal Far in March 1958. It flew various fixed wing target drones in particular to support the Seaslug surface-to-air missile development program.
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728B Naval Air Squadron
Active
January - July 1945 13 January 1958 - 2 December 1961[1]
The ARSAERO CT 10, also known as the Arsenal/SFECMAS Ars 5501, a remote-controlled target drone, was also operated by the squadron and ships used this for anti-aircraft gun practice. Additional Fairey Firefly target drones were added in October 1958. Gloster Meteor U.15 were received in 1959, these were a target drone conversion of the F.4 jet fighter aircraft and these were followed by Gloster Meteor U.16, a converted F.8, in 1960. In May 1961 some English Electric Canberra U.14 arrived, these were remote-controlled target drones converted from the B.2 bomber and later designated D.14.[2]
728B Naval Air Squadron disbanded at RNAS Hal Far (HMS Falcon) on 2 December 1961, having completed over two thousand hourstest flying and flown over one hundred and fifty drone sorties across fifty-two different aircraft.[2]
Aircraft operated
The squadron has operated a number of different aircraft types, including:[2]
Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN978-0-85130-489-2.
Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN0-85130-223-8.