809 Naval Air Squadron

809 Squadron
809 Squadron
	Squadron badge
Active	1941–1946; 1949–1959; 1963–1965; 1966–1978; 1982; 2023–present;
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Single-seat fighter squadron
Role	Carrier-based fighter squadron; Carrier-based maritime strike;
Part of	Fleet Air Arm
Home station	RAF Marham
Motto	Immortal
Aircraft	Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning
Battle honours	Arctic 1941; Malta Convoys 1942; North Africa 1942; Salerno 1943; South France 1944; Aegean 1944; Burma 1945; Falklands 1982;
Commanders
Current; commander	Commander Nick Smith
Insignia
Squadron Badge Description	Blue, a Phoenix wings displayed and addorsed langued red and inclined to profile gold arising from flames proper (1944)
Identification Markings	6A+ (Fulmar on HMS Victorious); SA+ (Seafire on HMS Stalker); D6A+ (Seafire from March 1945); 481-494 (Sea Hornet); 226-235 (Sea Venom); 220-229 (Sea Venom January 1956); 220-233 (Buccaneer January 1963); 320-327 (Buccaneer January 1966); 020-036 (Buccaneer January 1970); 250-257 (Sea Harrier);
Fin Carrier/Shore Codes	CW:Q:A:J (Sea Hornet); O (Sea Venom); O:Z:A (Sea Venom January 1956); LM:R (Buccaneer January 1963); LM:H (Buccaneer January 1966); R (Buccaneer January 1970);

809 Squadron (809 NAS), sometimes referred to as 809 Squadron, nicknamed Immortal, is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It currently operates the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning aircraft from RAF Marham, Norfolk, having recommissioned in 2023. The unit is jointly manned by both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel and operates from Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

It was first formed in 1941 and flew in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean and the Far East during the Second World War. After active service during the Suez Crisis, 809 was disbanded in 1959. Reformed in 1963 to fly Blackburn Buccaneers, the squadron was disbanded briefly in 1965–66, and then again in 1978. A brief period during the Falklands War saw 809 reformed to bring Sea Harrier FRS.1 aircraft south to the UK task group and to fly from HMS Illustrious.