- Squadron
A squadron is a small unit or formation of
cavalry , armour,aircraft (includingballoons ), orwarship s.Army and Marines
A
cavalry squadron (horse or armoured), typically consists of three to fivetroop s.USA
In the
United States Army , a squadron is the Cavalry equivalent of aninfantry battalion orartillery battalion ; it is used forArmored Cavalry andAir Cavalry units.UK and Commonwealth
In the
British Army and many Commonwealth armies, it is the counterpart of an infantry company orartillery battery . The designation is also used for company-sized units in theSpecial Air Service ,Honourable Artillery Company ,Royal Engineers ,Royal Corps of Signals ,Royal Army Medical Corps andRoyal Logistic Corps , and formerly of the now defunctRoyal Corps of Transport , as well as theRoyal Marines .Squadrons are commonly designated using letters or numbers (e.g. No. 1 Squadron or A Squadron). In some
British Army units it is a tradition for squadrons to also be named after an important historical battle in which the regiment has taken part. In some special cases, squadrons can also be named after a unique honour which has been bestowed on the unit (e.g. TheQueen's Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force'sRAF Regiment ).France
An "escadron" (the French word for squadron) is another word for a cavalry division. For a long time, an escadron corresponded to a battalion, uniting several companies. Since the mid 20th century, an escadron has been the equivalent of a single company.
In the cavalry (now called the "mounted arm") a captain (3 galons, or braids) commands an escadron (what would be a "company" in the infantry) and is thus called a "
chef d'escadron " (with escadron in the singular). However, his superior in the hierarchy (4 galons) commands 2 escadrons and is thus called "chef d'escadrons" (with escadron in the plural). There are 2 exceptions - in the Gendarmerie and Artillerie (both accounted mounted arms), such a commander (again with 4 galons) is a "chef d'escadron" (singular).Aviation
An
air force ,army aviation ornaval aviation squadron typically consists of three or four flights, with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, depending on aircraft type and air force. In theImperial Japanese Army in theSecond World War , three air squadrons were assigned to each airregiment . Some air forces (including theRoyal Air Force andUnited States Air Force ) also use the term for air force ground units. Multiple squadrons (typically three to ten) make up a wing. An escadron is the equivalent unit in France's Armée de l'Air (with an as a subsection of an escadron) and Canada's air force.
In theAir Training Corps of theUK , a Squadron is a group ofcadet s who parade regularly.In the
Civil Air Patrol , a squadron is the basic administrative unit.Navy
A naval squadron can be either a permanent battle formation or an "ad hoc" grouping of warships, typically
capital ships (battleship s,battlecruiser s,cruiser s, oraircraft carrier s). In theUnited States Navy , several ships of a similar type, such as submarines and destroyers, are administered as squadrons.See also
*
Aerial warfare
*Military science
*Military unit ource
*Equivalent|French
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