A quarter of a century of Naval aviation has been consigned to the history books in style with the disbanding of the first of the Senior Service’s two FA2 Sea Harrier squadrons – but it is not the end of the story.

In the skies above Devon and Cornwall, 800 Naval Air Squadron’s Commanding Officer Cdr Paul Stone took up his jump jet for almost the last time.

Not any old Harrier, mind you, but one specially painted in 800’s famous red livery, complete with squadron badge, to commemorate the occasion.

The farewell flights of the squadron, which officially decommissioned on Wednesday, should have reached their zenith with an FA2 roar over Portsmouth Naval Base on March 17 as the squadron’s ‘mother ship’, HMS Ark Royal, entered harbour for the last time before going into extended readiness.

But the flypasts were cancelled as the fog descended, bringing a low-key end to 24 years of service with the squadron by the Sea Harrier in its two guises, the FA2 and FRS1 – the latter last flew in 1995.

Cdr Stone said his Yeovilton-based squadron was disbanding on a high note.

“The last year of 800 as a Sea Harrier squadron has been amongst its busiest yet,” he said.

“2003 saw the squadron detached to Malaysia, the USA and embarked upon Invincible and Ark Royal.

“During this time we’ve flown with French supersonic Mirage bombers against Spanish F18s and alongside Malaysian Mig 29, Australian F18 and Singaporean F16s.”

Of the squadron’s jets, seven are going to other units, but two will be scrapped.

But this is not the end of 800 NAS – motto Nun quam non paratus, or ‘never unprepared’ – as it will stand up again on April 1, 2006 at RAF Cottesmore as a Royal Navy GR9 squadron, operating the upgraded bomber variant of the Harrier.

Neither is this the end of the FA2 just yet.

The Sea Harrier will continue to serve the Fleet Air Arm until 899 NAS, the training unit, and front-line sister squadron 801 NAS pay off in March 2005 and 2006 respectively.

The Sea Harrier is being retired as the Fleet Air Arm and RAF prepare for the introduction of the new Joint Strike Fighter, and the conversion to the common upgraded Harrier is a major step in the process.

From the early days of the Strategic Defence Review in 1998 it was recognised that closer links between the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF would pay dividends in the future – but that integration of the two Harrier types was not feasible.

Although they share a name, less than ten per cent of the airframe and avionics are common, and the Sea Harrier, which has a less powerful engine than the RAF version, could not be adapted to take the new Mk 107 jet which powers the uprated GR9.

800 NAS – which with sister units 801 and 824 NAS is the oldest of Naval Air Squadrons – has served the Fleet Air Arm on and off since 1933, distinguishing itself in the Norwegian campaign, Malta convoys and attacks on Bismarck and Tirpitz.

Post-war it saw action over Korea, flying more than 350 combat sorties without losing a single man or aircraft, and in the Suez crisis, and later flew Buccaneers before being disbanded in 1972.

It was reformed within a decade to become the first FAA unit to operate the Sea Harrier, which it did with aplomb during the Falklands Conflict from HMS Hermes, destroying 13 Argentine aircraft.

In its lifetime the squadron has achieved some notable maritime aviation firsts, including being the first to fly jet aircraft (the Supermarine Attacker) and the first high-altitude interceptor squadron, as well as the first to be equipped with the Grumman Hellcat.

From the first days of the Hawker Nimrod and Hawker Osprey to the FA2 Sea Harrier the squadron has flown 15 different aircraft types in operations around the world, from Scandinavia to Burma during the war, and just as widely in times of peace.