The Fleet Air Arm is the Royal Navy's air force. It numbers some 6200 people, which is 11.5% of the total Royal Naval strength, operating about 200 combat aircraft and over 50 support/training aircraft. Its helicopters and fixed wing aircraft provide the Royal Navy with a multi-role airborne combat capability able to operate independently at short notice, in all environments, day and night, over the sea and land.

When not embarked, the aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm are based at one of 2 establishments:

Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton - HMS Heron - in Somerset, which supports:

• Sea Harrier FA2
• Sea King Mark 4 commando helicopters
• Lynx helicopters

or Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose - HMS Seahawk - in Cornwall, which supports:

• Merlin ASW helicopters
• Sea King ASaC helicopters
• 771 Search and Rescue Squadron

There remains a search and rescue unit at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire - HMS Gannet search and rescue flight. Additionally Specialist air engineering training is undertaken at HMS Sultan at Gosport in Hampshire.

Additionally there are a small number of Lynx Mk8 attack helicopters and Gazelle reconnaissance/training aircraft which work with 3 Commando Brigade . The Navy also has 4 'floating airfields' in the form of 3 Invincible class aircraft carriers which operate Sea Harrier, Sea King and Merlin aircraft and the commando helicopter carrier HMS Ocean operating Sea King, Lynx and Gazelle helicopters.