725 Squadron

Commanding Officer: Commander Marcus Baxter

725 Squadron was formed more than 50 years ago. The historical squadron was a fleet requirements unit when it formed in August 1943. The squadron became an air target towing unit two years later and then disbanded in December 1945.

In January 1958, 725 Squadron re-emerged as a RAN fleet requirements and communications unit at Naval Air Station Nowra, Australia, and operated a varied fleet of aircraft including the Douglas C-47A Dakota, Auster J5-G Autocar, Hawker Sea Fury Mark 11, Fairey Firefly AS-5 and the Fairey Gannet AS1.

In 1959, the Squadron's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission emerged when it was designated a training squadron for the mission. In the ensuing years, the squadron performed tasks such as radar and communications calibration exercises and air interception practice for officers going through warfare training. In February 1964, an Australian aircraft carrier collided with a destroyer in one of the most tragic accidents in Australian naval history. 725 Squadron was there to perform search and rescue efforts.

The Squadron was commissioned, decommissioned, and recommissioned a number of times over a period of several decades.

NUSQN 725 was stood up on 11 February 2013 tasked with introducing and then operating the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. 725 Squadron recommissioned at HMAS Albatross on 11 June 2015.

History

More information about 725 Squadron's history is available online.

Read the Semaphore 2012, Issue 8 article 725 Squadron Re-commissioning.