the Westland Sea King HC.4, pilots undertook Advanced Flying Training - how to handle emergencies and how to fly with sole reference to instruments - before crewing up with the aircrewmen, Ratings taken from the Royal Navy Royal Marines, to learn how to operate the aircraft in a tactical environment during operational flying training. The Squadron also trained more than one hundred and fifty helicopter maintainers annually before sending them to the front line. Aircrew and maintainers received military and amphibious training and were taught how to operate in the field and from the deck of a ship. 848 NAS disbanded in 2013. It reformed on 1 May 2015 as an operational Sea King HC.4 squadron; this was to allow 845 NAS to convert to the Merlin without a loss of operational capability. It was decommissioned on 24 March 2016. Aircraft operated The squadron operated a variety of different aircraft and versions: Grumman Avenger I & II Fairey Swordfish I Westland Whirlwind HAR.21, HAR.1, HAS.22 & HAS.7 Westland Wasp HAS.1 Westland Wessex HU.5 Westland Sea King HC.4 Affiliations The squadron had a number of affiliations: The Pirate Trust Downside School Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Birmingham University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) Crewkerne Branch of The Royal British Legion References Citations Bibliography External links 848 Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Falklands War