No. 31 Squadron RAF
| No. 31 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
| Active |
|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Remotely Piloted Air System squadron |
| Role | Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and attack |
| Part of | ISTAR Force |
| Station | RAF Waddington |
| Nickname | 'Goldstars' |
| Mottos | In cælum indicum primus (Latin for 'First into Indian skies') |
| Mascots | Flt Lt, The Right Honourable, "Arris Arietis" Esq (Panda) |
| Aircraft | General Atomics Protector RG1 |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel | |
| Tail codes | ZA (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) CB (Jul 1948 – Mar 1955) VS (Jul 1948 – 1951) DA–DZ (Jun 1976 – Mar 2019) |
No. 31 Squadron, known as the Goldstars, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It is based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire and is equipped with the General Atomics Protector RG1.
The Squadron lays claim to being the first military unit to fly in India, where it was based from 1915 to 1947. Throughout the Cold War, No. 31 Squadron was based in West Germany, flying from RAF Laarbruch and RAF Brüggen. Between September 1984 and March 2019, the squadron operated the Panavia Tornado GR1/4, initially from RAF Brüggen and from August 2001 at RAF Marham, Norfolk. The squadron was disbanded in March when the Tornado retired and later reformed 2023 to operate the Protector RG1.