Number 13 Squadron, also written as XIII Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which operate the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle from RAF Waddington since reforming on 26 October 2012. The unit first formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps on 10 January 1915 and went on to fly the Martinsyde G.100, the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2, the SPAD VII and SPAD XIII, the Sopwith Dolphin during the First World War. In the Second World War it started out operating the Westland Lysander for army cooperation. From late 1942 it used Blenheims in North Africa but in 1943 squadron converted to Ventura for coastal patrols and convoy escort duties. Post war it operated Mosquito before transitioning to the new jet aircraft Gloster Meteor and English Electric Canberra for photoreconnaissance. From 1 January 1990, it operated the Panavia Tornado, initially the GR1A at RAF Honington and later the GR4/4A at RAF Marham where it temporarily disbanded on 13 May 2011.
Canberra PR.9 XH130 of No. 13 (Photographic Reconnaissance) Squadron in 1964
Tornado GR.4A ZG712 of No. 13 Squadron as seen at the 2007 CIAF air show in the Czech Republic
Lysander of No. 13 Squadron provides aiming practice for members of the Home Guard at the Western Command Weapons Training School, Altcar, Lancashire, September 1940.
Fitters, armourers and mechanics of No. 13 Squadron prepare Bristol Blenheim Mark VD C for a sortie at Canrobert, Algeria during the Second World War.
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate ground control by humans.
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
The satellite antenna and sensors of an NOAA-NASA flight demonstrator, 2005
An MQ-9 taxiing in Afghanistan, 2007
The first MQ-9 arriving at Creech AFB, March 2007