No. 1312 Flight RAF

No. 1312 Flight Royal Air Force, commonly abbreviated to 1312 Flt RAF, is an independent flight of the Royal Air Force (RAF). Currently based at RAF Station Mount Pleasant (more commonly known as RAF Mount Pleasant, and also known as Mount Pleasant Complex) in East Falkland, 1312 Flt are supporting at present the defence of the Falkland Islands and other nearby British Overseas Territories. The Royal Air Force contribution to British Forces South Atlantic Islands is based at Mount Pleasant; the primary frontline component is No. 1435 Flight, with its four Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 advanced multi-role combat aircraft. 1312 Flight provides aerial refuelling, air transport, search and rescue, and maritime patrol. The latter is an important mission to the Falkland Islands government, as the Lockheed C-130K Hercules verifies that all fishing vessels are licensed; at £1,000 per licence per season - an important source of income. The flight motto is 'Uphold the Right'; the motto of the Falkland Islands is 'Desire the Right'. No 1312 (Transport) Flight was first formed on , at RAF Llandow, south Wales. It originally operated six Avro Ansons to collect and deliver aircrew involved in the ferrying replacement aircraft to operational squadrons. After June 1944, it was involved in transporting wounded serviceman back to England from France, until it was disbanded on . 1312 was re-formed on , at RAF Abingdon, as No 1312 (Transport Support) Flight; operating the Handley Page Hastings, and later the Vickers Valetta, disbanding on . No 1312 (In Flight Refuelling) Flight re-formed again on at RAF Stanley, before moving to the newly opened RAF Mount Pleasant in 1986, where it remains current. The original task was to operate the Lockheed C-130K Hercules C1K on air-to-air refuelling missions, but this was later replaced by Vickers VC10 K4 (borrowed from 101 Squadron) and C-130K Hercules C1s from the Lyneham Wing. On 31 August 2013, the VC10 was replaced by a Lockheed TriStar K1 from 216 Squadron. Presently, 1312 Flt utilise aircraft and crew from RAF Brize Norton.