No. IX (Bomber) Squadron RAF

 squadron (military), RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border

No. 9 Squadron (otherwise known as No. IX (Bomber) Squadron or IX(B) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force was the first in the service to receive the Panavia Tornado, which it currently operates from RAF Marham, Norfolk.

IX(B) Squadron reformed in August 1982, becoming the world's first operational Tornado squadron at RAF Honington with the Panavia Tornado GR1, again equipped with WE.177 nuclear laydown bombs, handed down from the Vulcan force, before moving to RAF Bruggen in 1986. The squadron's nuclear delivery role ended in 1994 at Bruggen, although the squadron continued to be based there in their non-nuclear bombing role.

IX(B) Squadron continued its pioneering history by becoming the first squadron to receive the Tornado GR4 in 1999. A formal ceremony at RAF Brüggen on June 15, 2001 officially ended a continuous RAF presence in Germany since the Second World War; on July 17 the squadron completed its move to RAF Marham and all of the remaining Tornados had left by September 4, 2001.

The squadron formed a part of the RAF contribution to the 2003 Iraq War (Operation Telic). Nos. II(AC), IX(B), XIII, 31 and 617 Squadrons contributed to Tornado GR4 Wing 1 based at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. While all Tornado GR.4s are capable of carrying the ALARM Anti Radiation Missile, IX(B) and 31 Sqns specialise in the role. In this role they are known as "Pathfinder" squadrons.

2009 saw IX(B) Squadron celebrate 95 years of operational service. In 2011, they participated in Operation Ellamy. Aircraft from the squadron performed strike sorties from both RAF Marham and Gioia del Colle in Southern Italy. The Squadron undertook a tour of duty on Operation HERRICK, based at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan from January to April 2010.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/aboutus/9sqn.cfm