Back to the future
‘We see and we fight’. That’s the motto of Air Force’s newest squadron, with the reformation of 87SQN on July 1. Andrew Stackpool has the latest.

Volume 48, No. 12, July 13, 2006

BACK THEN: The late FSGT Norman Harvey, a photographer of No. 1 (Photographic Reconnaissance) Squadron, prepares to fit an aerial camera to one of the squadron’s aircraft. Of note, FSGT Harvey’s obituary appeared in Air Force News July 13. Photo courtesy 87SQN.

A VITAL piece of Air Force history has been reborn.
87SQN, which conducted strategic photographic operations integral to the Allied effort against Japanese forces to Australia’s north in WWII, was reformed on July 1.

Commanded by WGCDR Richard Keir, 87SQN is Air Force’s intelligence squadron and a key component of its integrated support capability, as well as ‘home’ to photographic capabilities.

It is a unit of the Information Warfare Wing within the Air Operational Support Group and sister unit to the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Unit, 462SQN and Air Force’s Aeronautical Information Service.

The squadron is headquartered at RAAF Base Edinburgh with two main flights, an Analysis Correlation and Fusion Flight, a Targeting Flight, and seven Tactical Intelligence Flights collocated within the combat wings; 41TIF, 42TIF, 81TIF, 821TIF, 92TIF, 395TIF and Air Mobility TIF.

At the reforming ceremony on July 3, WGCDR Keir said that “tonight is the culmination for many [people] of several years’ hard work creating an Air Force intelligence squadron and then, once 87SQN was chosen as the unit’s name, to have it reformed.

The evening was special with the attendance of five former members of 87SQN: AVM ‘Sam’ Jordan, a navigator with the squadron during WWII who retired in 1979 as the Assistant Chief of the Defence Force Staff; ‘Kym’ Bonython, a pilot during the war; Ted McKenzie and Laddie Hindley, former squadron COs; and Harry Farmer, who flew post-war survey operations.

“I am extremely proud to be the first commanding officer of the new 87SQN,” WGCDR Keir said.

ACAUST AVM John Quaife said that he viewed the standing up of the squadron with some satisfaction.

“I have been a strong supporter of this concept since I was first briefed on it in early 2004 and have seen it grow to what is before me tonight – real people and a real capability,” he said.

He said that Operation Falconer had been a pivotal moment for Air Force intelligence. The success of the operation was in large part due to the quality of Air Force’s intelligence capability.

This quality, however, was based more on individual performance rather than systemic strength.

“87SQN is Air Force’s endeavour to take its high quality intelligence personnel and systematise its approach to intelligence by managing the full gamut of Air Force’s intelligence capabilities,” he said.

“87SQN is less than three days old and it already has personnel on active service in Operations Catalyst and Slipper and in support of Operation Astute.

“Over the last three years, something like 75 per cent of the intelligence officer specialisation and the geospatial imagery analyst mustering has deployed.

“This level of commitment has provided for the rapid development of Air Force’s intelligence capability and the creation of experienced officers and airmen who have a knowledge level previously undreamt of.”

AVM Quaife said the squadron would be a key asset in network-centric warfare.

“87SQN squadron will ensure that information is turned into intelligence by a focussed, trained and capability-managed force and distributed to those who need it, when they need it,” he said.

“This will enable decision-makers to see first, understand first, decide first, strike first – and strike discriminately and definitively.

“It is apt that 87SQN’s motto is ‘We See and We Fight’.”.

 

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