T
his is a special year for the RAF’s
617 Sqn – not only does it mark the
75th anniversary since the famous
attack on the Möhne, Eder and
Sorpe dams, but it also opens an exciting
new chapter when the unit re-forms on the
F-35B.
The RAF’s rst frontline Lightning (the
UK doesn’t follow Lockheed Martin in having
II after the name) squadron is currently
working up at MCAS Beaufort, South
Carolina in preparation for moving to its
permanent home at RAF Marham in Norfolk
later this year. Overseeing this process is
Wg Cdr John Butcher, Officer Commanding
(OC) 617 Sqn who told Aviation News: “The
reason for being out in the States is to train
on the F-35 and to gain suitable experience
and quali cations on engineering the jet.
We are in a very good position to form the
squadron at RAF Marham this year.”
Preparing the pilots, engineers and the
large mission support ight to become
operational is progressing well. The
latter includes ground liaison officers and
intelligence officers who assist in a great
deal of pre-mission planning.
MCAS Beaufort was chosen because
US Marine Corps Lightning training takes
place there and 617 Sqn is working upunder the F-35B training unit VMFAT-501. Adeal was struck enabling this US air arm,
the RAF and Royal Navy to work together,
sharing each country’s aircraft. The ‘pooling
implementation agreement’ will continue until
summer 2019 when 207 Sqn (the UK’s F-35
operational conversion unit) will re-form and
move to Marham where it will autonomously
train UK personnel.
The OC has previously been involved in
the Lightning programme. He worked for
two years in the F-35 Joint Program Office in
Washington, on secondment from Defence
Equipment and Support, looking at UK
requirements for the aircraft. He was also
Chief of Staff in the Lightning Force HQ,
within 1 Group, and then moved to Beaufort
last August. He also has experience of
another short take-off and vertical landing
(STOVL) aircraft, having been a quali ed
ying instructor on the Harrier. During his
time with the Harrier he ew off the aircraft
carrier HMS Illustrious, and later operated
from the US Navy’s USS Ronald Reagan,
and John C Stennis while on an exchange
tour ying the Hornet with the US Marine
Corps. This carrier experience will prove
useful because the UK’s F-35s will form the
core element of the Britain’s carrier strike
capability from HMS Queen Elizabeth and
Prince of Wales.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 49Above: No.617 Sqn is due to re-form on
April 17 to operate the F-35B. MoD/Crown
Copyright 2016
Top right: Wg Cdr John Butcher, Officer
Commanding 617 Sqn, recreates the pose
from a famous wartime photograph of Wg
Cdr Guy Gibson, who led the Dams raid.
LCpl Jonah Lovy/USMC
Below: An RAF F-35B touching down at
MCAS Beaufort. Personnel assigned to 617
Sqn have been training at the South Carolina
base. DVIDS/Cpl Benjamin McDonald48-52_dambusters_new_eraDC.mfDC.mf.mfDC.indd 49 09/04/2018 15:34