Editing Squadron

{{Status|Canon}}
[[File:HCEA SilentCartographer Echo419.jpg|thumb|300px|Two [[D77 Pelican]] dropships of the [[23rd Naval Air Squadron]] during the [[Battle of the Silent Cartographer]] in [[2552#September|September 2552]].]]
'''Squadrons''' are a military organisational unit utilised in several military branches of the [[United Nations Space Command]]. They are used by the [[UNSC Navy]] and [[UNSC Air Force]] to organise both the [[warship]]s and [[Space fighter|strikecraft]] of their respective organisations.

==UNSC Navy==
In the [[UNSC Navy]], squadrons are used for the organisation of both ships and smaller craft.

===Naval squadrons===
During the [[Insurrection]] years prior to the outbreak of the [[Human-Covenant War]], the navy divided its naval squadrons into numerous specialised functions, including attack, battle, [[UNSC carrier|carrier]], [[Wikipedia:Monitor (warship)|monitor]], support{{Ref/Reuse|FB9}}, and [[prowler]]{{Ref/Novel|Id=SS4|HSS|Chapter=5}} squadrons.{{Ref/Reuse|FB9}} Squadrons were in turn comprised of multiple [[flight]]s consisting of around four warships.{{Ref/Reuse|SS5}}

However, due to the chaos and high rate of ship loss during the conflict, squadrons ceased to be relevant on a tactical level, and became an administrative organisational type for record-keeping and honourific purposes. Despite this, naval [[artificial intelligence]]s - sticklers for regulations - continue to carefully arrange dwindling ship rolls into the aforementioned squadron types, despite them having lost ''de jure'' meaning over two decades ago.{{Ref/Book|Id=FB9|Halo: Fleet Battles core rulebook|Page=9}} In some cases, this level of administrative mismanagement left long-destroyed squadrons attached to UNSC fleet units out of deference to tradition and to honour their sacrifice.{{Ref/Reuse|FB9}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22NV|Enc22|Page=62}} A UNSC fleet with only such detached squadrons is sometimes termed a "paper fleet", and new ships may be occaisionally assigned to them due to bureaucratic error.{{Ref/Reuse|FB9}}

The movement and tasking of naval squadrons is the responsibility of [[UNSC Fleet Command]] (FLEETCOM).{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22NV}}

For tactical deployments, UNSC warships are instead grouped into [[battle group]]s, which are then combined together to form flexible [[task force]]s. [[Fleet]]s are the highest level of UNSC naval organisation.{{Ref/Reuse|FB9}}

===Naval air squadrons===
Contrary to warship organisation, the UNSC Navy also utilises squadrons as part of its smallcraft deployments. Naval air squadrons such as these consist of [[dropship]]s, [[Space fighter|strikecraft]], bombers, and other air units assigned to a given warship or collection of warships. Little is known of how these squadrons are assigned, or their place in the overall UNSC military hierarchy. At present, only two such squadrons have been formally identified:
*'''[[23rd Naval Air Squadron]]''' - the air wing detachment assigned to {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}} for [[Operation: RED FLAG]] in August 2552.
*'''[[Longsword Squadron Delta]]''' - a detachment of [[GA-TL1 Longsword]]s attached to {{UNSCShip|Commonwealth}} during its [[Battle of Chi Ceti|mission]] to the [[Chi Ceti system]] in [[2525]].
*Ten such squadrons of [[F-29 Nandao]]s were attached to [[Task Force Pantea]] in mid-[[2526]], which itself consisted of six {{Class|Halberd|light destroyer}}s.{{Ref/Novel|Oblv|Chapter=12}}

==UNSC Air Force==
Within the [[UNSC Air Force]], squadrons are an intermediate level of aircraft organisation, consisting of between six and sixteen aircraft. Each squadron consists of between two and six [[flight]]s, which each consist of three or four individual aircraft. The squadron additionally consists of the flights' combined and additional technical support and command personnel. Several squadrons are then grouped alongside non-aircraft specialised units into either [[group]]s or [[wing]]s, depending on whether their mission is expeditionary or garrison in nature, respectively.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22AF|Enc22|Page=60}}

Air Force squadrons are named via a numerical designator and a mission type, such as the [[980th Intercept Squadron]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22AF}} The Air Force operates a network of quick-reaction squadrons deployed on [[Earth]] and throughout the [[Inner Colonies]], which are designed to deploy with atmospheric fightercraft and military spaceplanes (such as the [[FSS-1000 Sabre]]) at a moment's notice.{{Ref/Book|OSFM|Page=137}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
{{UNSC military organization}}