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Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Unit
BAE Systems Hawk T1A, of the Fleet Requirements and Development Unit (FRADU), in Royal Navy Centennary of Naval Aviation scheme
The
Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit
(
FRADU
) was a unit of the
Royal Navy
's
Fleet Air Arm
operated by the contractor
Serco
Defence and Aerospace. It was established in 1972.
[1]
It was most recently equipped with 13
BAE Systems Hawk
T1 advanced jet trainer aircraft on lease to the
Royal Navy
from the
Royal Air Force
, based at
RNAS Culdrose
in
Cornwall
. Two of these aircraft were permanently detached to Naval Flying Standards Flight (fixed wing) at
RNAS Yeovilton
where they are flown by RN pilots, but maintained by Serco engineers.
FRADU provided training for the Royal Navy by conducting simulated attacks on Royal Navy ships during
Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST)
,
Airborne Early Warning
(AEW) exercises, training air controllers and Helicopter Fighter Affiliation training.
In June 2013, FRADU was redesignated
736 Naval Air Squadron
.
[2]
History
[
edit
]
The
Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Training Unit
(FRADTU) was formed in 1972 by the merger of the
Fleet Requirements Unit
(FRU) and the
Air Direction Training Unit
ADTU which were operated by
Airwork Services
for the RN.
In 1983, the contract for FRADU was offered to competitive tender; the contract was won by
Flight Refuelling Ltd
,
Hurn
.
The FRADU moved from RNAS Yeovilton, its home since 1972, to RNAS Culdrose in December 1995.
Aircraft
[
edit
]
- Hawker Hunter
, GA.11, RNAS Yeovilton, December 1972 to May 1995
- Hawker Hunter
, T.7/T.8/T.8C, RNAS Yeovilton, December 1972 to May 1995
- Hawker Hunter
, T.8M (3 reworked Hunter T.8Cs fitted with the
Sea Harrier
's Blue Fox radar), RNAS Yeovilton, March 1983 to December 1994 (Note: Operated by 899NAS though still maintained by FRADU's engineers).
- English Electric Canberra
TT.18, RNAS Yeovilton, December 1972 to November 1992
- de Havilland Sea Vixen
, RNAS Yeovilton, December 1972 to February 1974
- Canberra T.4, RNAS Yeovilton, December 1972 to April 1986
- Canberra T.22 (reworked Canberra PR.7), RNAS Yeovilton, November 1973 to September 1985
- BAE Systems Hawk
T1 advanced jet trainer, RNAS Yeovilton, April 1994-November 1995. RNAS Culdrose, December 1995-June 2013.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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