No. 7 Squadron, arguably the RAF's premier special operations aviation unit, serves as the heavy-lift backbone for the United Kingdom's Special Forces. Formed in 1914 as the last Royal Flying Corps squadron before the outbreak of the First World War, it has a prestigious history as a heavy bomber unit, notably becoming the first squadron to fly four-engined bombers (the Short Stirling) during World War II and later serving as a founding member of the elite Pathfinder Force. Today, the squadron is based at RAF Odiham and operates the Boeing Chinook HC6. As part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW), it is permanently committed to supporting the SAS and SBS, conducting high-risk insertion and extraction missions under the cover of darkness. This 24-hour readiness is perfectly encapsulated by their motto, Per diem, per noctem ("By day and by night").
