Number 6 Squadron

virtual Officer Commanding: vGp Capt Matt Glover

No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 at RAF Leuchars. It was previously equipped with the Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support (CAS) and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was based at RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until disbanding in May 2007. The squadron officially reformed as a Air Defence Typhoon squadron on 6 September 2010. No. 6 Squadron's motto Oculi Exercitus ("The Eyes of the Army") and the badge depicting an eagle attacking a serpent were gained as a result of fighter defence of army units during World War I. The squadron was formed on 31 January 1914, at Farnborough as No 6 Sqn, Royal Flying Corps.

The squadron remained in the Middle East until 1969. During this period the squadron went from being equipped with Hurricanes (and for a brief period four Spitfires due to a lack of available Hurricanes) to Hawker Tempest Mk. VIs and subsequently De Havilland Vampire FB.5s. During the early 1950s the squadron developed a close relationship with Jordan and King Abdullah, through this period it continued to operate Vampires and a twin seat Gloster Meteor T.7.

No. 11 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Netheravon in Wiltshire on 14 February 1914 for "fighting duties". Since all previous squadrons (Royal Flying Corps or other nations) were reconnaissance or army co-operation units, 11 can make a claim to be the oldest fighter squadron in the world. The twin Eagles on the crest represent the twin seat "Vickers Gunbus" of the First World War.

In 1956, after a brief period back in Iraq the squadron moved the De Havilland Venoms it then operated back to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus and attacked Egyptian airfields from here during the Suez Crisis. In 1957 the squadron again re-equipped, this time with English Electric Canberras which it continued to operate from Akrotiri until 1969. Having been located outside of the UK for 50 years the squadron returned in 1969 and was the first to receive the Phantom FGR2 at RAF Coningsby the same year, before re-equipping with the Jaguar GR1 and T2 at RAF Lossiemouth in 1974. The squadron then moved to RAF Coltishall, being declared operational in the tactical nuclear role with twelve aircraft and eight WE.177 nuclear bombs until 1994, when the squadron's nuclear role was terminated and the weapons withdrawn.

The squadron continued at RAF Coltishall in its non-nuclear role until Coltishall closed on 1 April 2006, and the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby. The squadron's aircraft were deployed to the Gulf as part of Operation Granby (Gulf War), for which it received battle honours, and later as part of the Northern No-Fly-Zone. The squadron deployed to Italy for operations over Bosnia from 1993.

The Squadron was the last to fly the SEPECAT Jaguar, and was disbanded on 31 May 2007. The Jaguar's intended replacement in RAF service was the Eurofighter Typhoon. The RAF announced that No. 6 Squadron was to be the fourth operational front line squadron equipped with the Typhoon and the first with Tranche 2 aircraft, initially scheduled to reform in 2008 at RAF Leuchars in Fife. However this was delayed until 2010, with the squadron reforming at RAF Leuchars on 6 September 2010, when a closed standing-up ceremony was performed to mark the squadron's reforming, including the arrival of the new Typhoon aircraft in 6 Squadron colours from RAF Coningsby. It has taken over the role of Quick Reaction Alert for the north of the United Kingdom from No. 111 Squadron, the RAF's last Panavia Tornado F3 squadron, in March 2011.