No 31 Squadron

 squadron (military), draw only border

No. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk. Now part of the Marham Wing, 31 Squadron's aircraft and crews were part of the RAF Tornado force in the 1991 Gulf War and the Squadron has continued to fly on regular operations over Iraq. On Jan 1, 1995 the Squadron was declared operational in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) role equipped with the Air Launched Anti Radiation Missile ALARM Anti Radiation Missile.

During 1999 the Squadron re-equipped with the Tornado GR4 .In 2001 No 31 Squadron moved to RAF Marham, and in 2003 formed the core of the Ali Al Salem Air Combat Wing, operating over Iraq during Operation Resinate South and Operation Telic. While all Tornado GR.4s are capable of carrying the ALARM Anti Radiation Missile, only 31 and IX Sqns specialise in the role. In this role they are known as "Pathfinder" squadrons.

31 Squadron became the lead RAF Tornado GR4 unit on the Brimstone anti-tank missile, accepting the weapon into RAF service at its home base, RAF Marham, on April 7, 2005.

The Squadron has recently completed a 3 month tour of Afghanistan on Operation Herrick providing fast air support to ground troops in contact. They achieved a 100% sortie success rate, the first Tornado squadron to achieve this milestone on an operational detachment. They recently received their Operation Herrick service medals from the Air Officer Commanding 1 group Air Vice-Marshal G J Bagwell CBE.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/aboutus/31sqn.cfm