1951, the squadron was re-equipped with jet aircraft, as de Havilland Vampire FB.5s replaced the Spitfires, with 28 Squadron being the last front-line RAF squadron equipped with the Spitfire. From February 1952, it began receiving Vampire FB.9s, which where fitted with air conditioning, which made operations in the hot climate of Hong Kong more tolerable for the pilots. In February 1956, the squadron discarded its Vampires, again being the last front-line RAF squadron to operate the type, receiving de Havilland Venom FB.1s as replacements, exchanging them for Venom FB.4s in November 1959. In June 1957, as a result of the 1957 Defence Review, Sek Kong was handed over the army, with 28 Squadron returning to Kai Tak. While at Kai Tak from May 1962 the squadron changed to flying Hawker Hunter FGA.9s, until 2 January 1967 when it was disbanded. The squadron was reformed on 1 March 1968 at Kai Tak from a detachment of No. 103 Squadron RAF operating Westland Whirlwind HC 10s. The Westland Wessex HC.2 was introduced to the squadron from January 1972 and the Whirlwinds operated until August 1972. On 17 May 1978 the squadron moved to RAF Sek Kong and stayed until 1 November 1996. The squadron returned to Kai Tak from then until disbanded on 3 June 1997 prior to the British withdrawal on 1 July, with the squadron's Wessexes being sold to Uruguay. It was the last RAF squadron to leave the territory. The RAF ordered 22 Westland Merlin HC3 helicopters in March 1995, the first of which was received from GKNWestland, now AgustaWestland, on 7 March 2001. The squadron officially reformed on 17 July 2001 at RAF Benson, the first time in its recent history that the squadron had been stationed in the UK. The squadron's first operational role with the Merlin was in support of SFOR at Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aircraft and personnel deployed on 1 April 2003, the same day that an initial operational capability was declared for the Merlin. The detachment ceased on 31 March 2004 and the squadron then began to prepare for operations in Iraq. The squadron's commitment to Operation Telic began on 1 March 2005. Several aircraft and a mix of aircrew, engineers and support personnel from 28 (AC) Squadron and RAF Benson, deployed using the historic No. 1419 Flight RAF to replace the Chinooks of No. 1310 Flight RAF at Basrah Air