:No. 37 Squadron RAAF

File:RAAF airman in a C-130J at Red Flag 15-1.JPG

No. 37 Squadron is tasked with medium tactical airlift in Australia and overseas, transporting troops and cargo, and conducting medical evacuation, search-and-rescue, and airdrop missions.{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/docs/37SQN-Media-Pack.pdf|title=Today's No. 37 Squadron|work=No. 37 Squadron 70th Anniversary|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|page=3|access-date=28 November 2016}}{{cite press release|url=http://news.defence.gov.au/2013/07/16/air-forces-no-37-squadron-celebrates-its-70th-anniversary/|title=Air Force's No 37 Squadron celebrates its 70th anniversary|publisher=Department of Defence|date=16 July 2013|access-date=28 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821054332/http://news.defence.gov.au/2013/07/16/air-forces-no-37-squadron-celebrates-its-70th-anniversary/|archive-date=21 August 2016|df=dmy-all}} It is located at RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, and controlled by No. 84 Wing, which is part of Air Mobility Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/About-us/Structure-of-the-RAAF/Air-Command/Air-Mobility-Group/No.-84-Wing/?RAAF-ui+qIvGO6CS3EKBt0QlMHs4kluEN4KcG|title=No. 84 Wing|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|access-date=28 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218013306/http://www.airforce.gov.au/About-us/Structure-of-the-RAAF/Air-Command/Air-Mobility-Group/No.-84-Wing?RAAF-ui+qIvGO6CS3EKBt0QlMHs4kluEN4KcG|archive-date=18 February 2017|df=dmy-all}} As of July 2013, the squadron comprised more than 400 personnel organised into four flights of aircrew, an administrative and operational section, and a maintenance section responsible for day-to-day aircraft servicing as well as regular maintenance cycles of six weeks' duration. Intermediate and heavy maintenance is contracted to Airbus Group Australia Pacific (airframe) and StandardAero (engines).Minister for Defence, Defence Portfolio Budget Statements 2016–17, p. 164 No. 37 Squadron's motto is "Foremost".{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/raafmuseum/research/units/37sqn.htm |title=37 Squadron|publisher= RAAF Museum|access-date=28 November 2016}}

The squadron operates twelve Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, which entered service in 1999.{{cite web |url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A97.htm |title= Lockheed Hercules |publisher=RAAF Museum |access-date=28 November 2016}} The aircraft are generally crewed by two pilots and a loadmaster, the latter being responsible for the loading, carriage and unloading of cargo and passengers.McPhedran, Air Force, pp. 53–55 The C-130J can carry {{convert|19500|kg|lb}} of cargo, or 120 passengers. It has a range of over {{convert|6800|km|mi|abbr=in}} without payload, and is able to operate from short and unsealed airstrips.{{cite web|title=C-130J Hercules description and specifications |url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/Technology/Aircraft/C-130-Hercules/?RAAF-EPzAnXmgjWuyTq8XSZbcAUaUIYIcntiB|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|access-date=28 November 2016}} From 1999 to 2017, No. 285 Squadron operated a C-130J flight simulator at Richmond to train No. 37 Squadron's aircrew and maintenance personnel; its role and most of its personnel were subsequently transferred to No. 37 Squadron's Training Flight.{{cite magazine|last1=Hamilton|first1=Eamon|title=285SQN gears up for farewell|url=https://www.airforcenewspaper.defence.gov.au/airforce-news/october-19th-2017/flipbook/8/|access-date=8 March 2025|magazine= Air Force|volume=59|issue=19|date=18 October 2017|page=9}}{{cite web|title=Air Force disbands No. 285 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond|url=https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/air-force-disbands-no-285-squadron-raaf-base-richmond|website=Defence News and Media|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=8 March 2025|date=8 December 2017}} {{nowrap|No. 37 Squadron}} maintains a detachment of two aircraft at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to support operations in the Middle East Region under Operation Accordion.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/newspapers/raaf/editions/5613/5613.pdf|last=Croce|first=Peter|title=Burning the midnight oil|magazine=Air Force |volume=56|issue=13|date=17 July 2014|pages=12–13|access-date=28 November 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Operations/OpAccordion/|title=Operation Accordion|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=28 November 2016|date=13 March 2014}} The C-130Js are expected to remain in RAAF service until 2030.{{cite news|title=RAAF marks 800,000 Hercules flying hours|url=http://australianaviation.com.au/2014/09/raaf-marks-800000-hercules-flying-hours/|access-date=28 November 2016|newspaper=Australian Aviation|date=15 September 2014}}

File:Ventura 37 Sqn RAAF at Merauke 1944.jpeg, Dutch New Guinea, in December 1944|alt=Side view of twin-engined cargo plane on landing ground]]

No. 37 (Transport) Squadron was formed on 15 July 1943 at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria, with a staff of two officers and thirteen airmen.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 180RAAF Historical Section, Maritime and Transport Units, pp. 62–63 Its first commanding officer, Squadron Leader Neville Hemsworth (late of No. 34 Squadron), arrived on 21 July, and its first aircraft, a single-engined Northrop Delta (also formerly of No. 34 Squadron), was delivered on 2 August.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", pp. 179–180{{cite web| url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A61.htm|title=Northrop Delta|publisher=RAAF Museum|access-date=28 November 2016}} The squadron was allocated the first of a batch of ten twin-engined Lockheed C-60 Lodestar transports on 23 August.{{cite web| url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A67.htm|title=Lockheed Lodestar|publisher=RAAF Museum|access-date=28 November 2016}} The Delta was written off following an accident on 30 September. By then the squadron's staff numbered 190, including forty-five officers.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 176 It was declared operational on 11 October 1943, undertaking regular courier flights across Australia to destinations including Perth, Western Australia; Darwin and Alice Springs, Northern Territory; Adelaide, South Australia; Maryborough, Queensland; and Launceston, Tasmania.

File:No. 37 Squadron RAAF Dakota 1945 (AWM P01627.001).JPG

By mid-1944, the squadron had expanded its operations to New Guinea, making courier flights to Merauke initially, and later Wewak, Noemfoor and Hollandia. It transferred to Essendon, Victoria, on 1 September.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 151 The unit was now one of eight Australian transport squadrons, all of which operated under the control of RAAF Headquarters, Melbourne. Their primary duty was supporting the Australian military, though they could also be released for urgent requests by General Douglas MacArthur's South West Pacific Area headquarters.Odgers, [https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1070397--1-.pdf Air War Against Japan, pp. 381–383] A Lodestar crashed and burned on takeoff at Merauke on 26 January 1945 but all aboard escaped injury; it was the only hull loss suffered by the type in Australian service.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 133 No. 37 Squadron received its first three Douglas C-47 Dakotas the following month, and by the end of March had a complement of eighteen aircraft: nine Dakotas, seven Lodestars, a Douglas DC-2, and a de Havilland Tiger Moth.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 124 The next month it began operating detachments out of Parafield, South Australia, and Morotai in the Dutch East Indies.Roylance, Air Base Richmond, p. 92No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", pp. 119, 122 On 6 July 1945, one of the squadron's Dakotas transported the body of Prime Minister John Curtin from Canberra to Perth for burial.{{cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL/02368.001|title=Douglas C-47B-20-DK, Dakota Mk IV Transport Aircraft|publisher=Australian War Memorial|access-date=28 November 2016}} By September 1945, No. 37 Squadron's strength was 357 staff, including 111 officers, sixteen Dakotas, two Lodestars, a DC-2, and a Tiger Moth.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 96

Following the end of hostilities, No. 37 Squadron repatriated former prisoners of war from Singapore to Australia. On 27 July 1946, it moved to RAAF Station Schofields, New South Wales, where it came under the control of No. 86 (Transport) Wing along with Nos. 36 and 38 Squadrons, also operating Dakotas. Another unit of No. 86 Wing, No. 486 (Maintenance) Squadron, was responsible for servicing the Dakotas.RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, p. 70 On 30 September 1946, No. 37 Squadron was assigned the regular courier service to Japan that had previously been flown by No. 36 Squadron, to support the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. In January 1947, No. 37 Squadron handed over the Japan courier run to No. 38 Squadron, and the following month took over the Lae courier service previously flown by No. 36 Squadron; the Rabaul courier run was added in April.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", pp. 24, 28, 32 By the end of 1947, No. 37 Squadron's personnel numbered fifty-six, including twenty-four officers, and it had an average of ten Dakotas on strength.No. 37 Squadron (1943–48), "Operations Record Book", p. 6 The unit was disbanded at Schofields on 24 February 1948.

On 27 September 1965, Minister for Air Peter Howson announced that No. 37 Squadron was to be re-raised to operate twelve Lockheed C-130E Hercules transport aircraft that had been purchased by the Federal government; the new aircraft would allow the RAAF to support Australian deployments in South East Asia while continuing to meet its domestic commitments.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105863881 |title=New RAAF squadron for transports|newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=28 September 1965 |access-date=28 November 2016 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}Wilson, Dakota, Hercules, and Caribou in Australian Service, p. 105 The squadron was formed at RAAF Base Richmond on 21 February 1966, under the command of Wing Commander Ron McKimm.Roylance, Air Base Richmond, p. 117 It joined No. 36 Squadron, which had been operating C-130A Hercules since 1958. No. 486 Squadron, disbanded in 1964, was re-formed at Richmond to provide maintenance for both Hercules squadrons; major repairs and upgrades to the C-130s were the responsibility of No. 2 Aircraft Depot (later No. 503 Wing).Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 178, 420–425RAAF Historical Section, Maintenance Units, p. 8 As the C-130E had a longer range and could carry a greater payload than the C-130A, No. 37 Squadron was generally assigned strategic tasks, while No. 36 Squadron's responsibilities were primarily tactical in nature. No. 37 Squadron began taking delivery of its C-130Es in August, and by the end of September its staff numbered eighty-six, including twenty-one officers.Roylance, Air Base Richmond, pp. 100–103No. 37 Squadron (1966–78), "Operations Record Book", p. 5 In February 1967, the squadron commenced long-range missions in support of Australian forces in the Vietnam War, including aero-medical evacuations conveying wounded soldiers back to Australia, generally via RAAF Base Butterworth, Malaysia.RAAF Historical Section, Maritime and Transport Units, pp. 64–65 Initially both C-130A and E models were employed for such evacuations, but only C-130Es were assigned to this task from May 1967, as they offered more comfortable conditions and were capable of flying directly between South Vietnam and Australia if required.Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam, pp. 256–258 By the end of February 1968, No. 37 Squadron had a strength of 207 personnel: eighty-five aircrew, including fifty-one officers, and 122 ground staff, including three officers.No. 37 Squadron (1966–78), "Operations Record Book", p. 48 The squadron transported the last Australian forces out of Vietnam in December 1972, following the Federal government's decision to withdraw from the conflict.Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam, pp. 248

File:C-130E 37 Sqn RAAF at Clark AB 1981.JPEG, Philippines, in November 1981|alt=Four-engined military cargo plane in grey and white livery at an airfield]]

As well as participating in military exercises and overseas peacekeeping commitments, the Hercules became a familiar sight in the Southern Pacific, called on for relief operations following many natural disasters including tsunamis in New Guinea, cyclones in the Solomons and Tonga, and fires and floods throughout Australia.Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 311 It played a major role in the evacuation of civilians following Cyclone Tracy in Darwin in 1974–75; a No. 37 Squadron C-130E was the first aircraft to touch down in Darwin following the disaster. The squadron contributed eleven aircraft to the relief effort, carrying 4,400 passengers and {{convert|1300000|lb|kg}} of cargo.{{cite magazine|magazine=RAAF News|volume= 37 |issue= 1| date=Jan–Feb 1995|page=7|title=Looking back: 20 years ago}} No. 37 Squadron aircraft took part in Operation Babylift, the US-led effort to evacuate the orphaned children of American servicemen from Vietnam in April 1975. Later that month, two of the squadron's aircraft were assigned to the United Nations (UN) to transport supplies throughout South East Asia; the C-130s' Australian roundels were painted over with UN symbols to signify the mission's neutrality. Commencing operations in May, the aircraft flew supplies into Laos and transported cargo between Thailand, Butterworth, Hong Kong and Singapore, completing ninety-one sorties by the time the mission ended in early June.{{cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/53/bullard_after_the_fall/|last=Bullard|first=Stephen|title=After the Fall|publisher=Australian War Memorial|access-date=28 November 2016}} The Hercules also evacuated Australian embassy personnel from Saigon, South Vietnam, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, following the end of the Vietnam War.Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 274 No. 37 Squadron was awarded the Gloucester Cup by the Governor General in June 1976 for its performance in 1974–75.

In January–February 1979, two No. 37 Squadron C-130Es evacuated Australian and other foreign embassy staff from Tehran, shortly before the collapse of royal rule during the Iranian Revolution.{{cite magazine |title = RAAF evacuation of Australians from Iran, 1979 | magazine = Pathfinder| date = April 2007| issue = 64| url = http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/admin/productfiles/publication/materials/313/pf64_apr07.pdf|access-date=28 November 2016}} The same year, the squadron began operations with two ex-Qantas Boeing 707s, handing them over to No. 33 Flight (later No. 33 Squadron) at the beginning of 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series3/A20.htm |title=Boeing 707|publisher= RAAF Museum|access-date= 28 November 2016}} No. 37 Squadron transported the Popemobiles on John Paul II's 1986 tour of Australia; its other unusual cargoes have included a stud bull presented to the Chinese government, kangaroos and sheep to Malaysia, and an exhibition of China's Entombed Warriors. In February 1987, the unit again joined No. 36 Squadron, along with No. 33 Squadron, as part of a re-formed No. 86 Wing under the newly established Air Lift Group (later Air Mobility Group).Roylance, Air Base Richmond, pp. 107–108, 116–117{{cite magazine|url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?startpage=6&iid=91526|last=Hamilton|first=Eamon|title=Symbolic change is perfect timing|magazine=Air Force|volume=56|issue=8|date=8 May 2014|page=7|access-date=28 November 2016}} The following year, No. 37 Squadron achieved 200,000 accident-free flying hours on the Hercules. The Australian public had the experience of flying in the C-130s when the aircraft were employed by the Federal government to provide transport during the 1989 Australian pilots' dispute that curtailed operations by the two domestic airlines.Roylance, Air Base Richmond, pp. 110–111 In December 1990 and January 1991, a detachment of C-130s from Nos. 36 and 37 Squadrons flew missions to Dubai in support of Australia's naval contribution to the Gulf War.RAAF Historical Section, Maritime and Transport Units, p. 59{{cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/units/Gulf+War,+1990-1991/|title=Gulf War, 1990–91|publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=28 November 2016}} No. 37 Squadron transported Australian troops to Somalia as part of Operation Solace in January 1993, and provided a shuttle service between Kenya and Somalia during May.{{cite web|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/HistoryRecord/HistoryRecordDetail.aspx?rid=131 |title=Advance party headed for Somalia|publisher= Air Power Development Centre|access-date=28 November 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/HistoryRecord/HistoryRecordDetail.aspx?rid=450|title=Airlift returned Army battalion from Somalia|publisher= Air Power Development Centre|access-date=28 November 2016}} No. 486 Squadron was disbanded in October 1998, having transferred its C-130 maintenance functions to Nos. 36 and 37 Squadrons.{{cite magazine|title=Bulletin board|magazine=Air Force News |volume=40 |issue=8|date=September 1998| page=12}} No. 37 Squadron began re-equipping with new-model C-130J Hercules in September 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/docs/37SQN-Media-Pack.pdf|title=A History of No. 37 Squadron |work=No. 37 Squadron 70th Anniversary|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|page=10|access-date=28 November 2016}} Its aircraft formed part of a detachment of C-130s supporting INTERFET forces in East Timor between September 1999 and February 2000, under Operation Warden.{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/units/east_timor/raaf/|title=RAAF units in East Timor|publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=28 November 2016}} The last C-130Es were taken out of service in November 2000.{{cite web|url=http://www.airforce.gov.au/docs/37SQN-Media-Pack.pdf|title=Today's No. 37 Squadron|work=No. 37 Squadron 70th Anniversary|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|page=11|access-date=28 November 2016}} No. 37 Squadron was awarded the Gloucester Cup in 2001, the same year it took delivery of its twelfth and final C-130J.{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4410/story04.htm|last=Caddaye|first=Ben|title=Thumbs up for Hercs|work=Air Force News|date=6 June 2002|access-date=28 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825211618/http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4410/story04.htm|archive-date=25 August 2016}} Five C-130s of Nos. 36 and 37 Squadrons participated in relief efforts following the Bali bombings in October 2002.{{cite magazine| last=Eaton|first= Mark| title='Full-on' efforts earn plaudits| date= 24 October 2002 | url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4420/topstories/story04.htm |magazine=Air Force|volume= 44|issue= 20 | access-date=28 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134026/http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4420/topstories/story04.htm|archive-date=4 March 2016}}

File:RAAF C-130J Hercules 37 Squadron.jpg

In September 2004, aircraft from No. 37 Squadron joined the rotating detachment of C-130s established by No. 36 Squadron in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) in February 2003, following the invasion of Iraq; the C-130Js were required to be fitted with self-protection equipment before deploying to the MEAO.{{cite press release|title=Aussie Hercs clock 20,000 operational hours |url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/Z7AW6/upload_binary/z7aw60.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/Z7AW6%22 |publisher=Department of Defence|date=25 March 2010|access-date=28 November 2016}}{{cite magazine | last = Hamilton | first = Eamon | title = Keeping up ops |magazine= Air Force| volume=55 | issue= 3 | date = 28 February 2013 | page=4| url = http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/newspapers/raaf/editions/5503/5503.pdf|access-date=28 November 2016}} No. 37 Squadron was strengthened to create a "super squadron" on 17 November 2006, when its force of twelve C-130Js was augmented by No. 36 Squadron's twelve C-130Hs, prior to the latter re-equipping with Boeing C-17 Globemasters and relocating to RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland.{{cite magazine | last = Hamilton | first = Eamon | title = Dawn of a new era |magazine= Air Force| volume=48 | issue= 22 | date = 30 November 2006 | url = http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4822/topstories/story01.htm|access-date=28 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223554/http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4822/topstories/story01.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016}} Two of the C-130s joined DHC-4 Caribous from No. 38 Squadron as part of the RAAF's initial contribution to Operation Papua New Guinea Assist following Cyclone Guba in November 2007.{{cite magazine|last=Hamilton|first=Eamon|title=PNG Assist takes off |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Raaf/editions/4922/4922.pdf |magazine=Air Force|volume= 49|issue= 22 |publisher=Department of Defence|page=3|access-date=28 November 2016|date= 29 November 2007}} No. 37 Squadron took over full responsibility for the Hercules detachment to the MEAO in mid-2008, and in March 2010 one of its C-130Js completed the detachment's 20,000th hour of flying operations.McPhedran, Air Force, p. 11 The squadron was transferred from No. 86 Wing to No. 84 Wing on 1 October 2010, as part of a restructure of Air Lift Group.{{cite magazine| last = Hamilton | first = Eamon|title=Command swap for ALG|magazine=Air Force|date=30 September 2010|volume =52|issue=18|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Raaf/editions/5218/5218.pdf|page=3|access-date=28 November 2016}} It was presented with the Gloucester Cup for its proficiency in 2011 at a ceremony on 31 May 2012.{{cite magazine| title=Best of 2011|magazine=Air Force|date=12 April 2012|volume =54 |issue=6| url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?xml=defencenews_airforce.xml&iid=61503&startpage=4|page=4|access-date=28 November 2016}}{{cite magazine| title=Air Force awards|magazine=Air Force|date=21 June 2012|volume =54 |issue=11| url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?startpage=11&iid=64253&xml=defencenews_airforce.xml#folio=11|pages=11–13|access-date=28 November 2016}} The C-130Hs were retired the same year, the last pair at Richmond on 30 November.{{cite magazine | last = Hamilton | first = Eamon | title = Emotional end of an era |magazine= Air Force| volume=54|issue= 23 |date = 6 December 2012 | page=5 | url = http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/newspapers/raaf/editions/5423/5423.pdf|access-date=26 June 2016}} In January 2013, No. 37 Squadron undertook a successful search-and-rescue mission for Alain Delord, a missing round-the-world yachtsman who was found approximately {{convert|500|nmi|km}} south of Tasmania. Crews located Delord adrift in a life raft before airdropping supplies, maintaining watch and ultimately guiding in a rescue vessel fifty-eight hours later.{{cite magazine| last = Hamilton | first = Eamon|title=One to remember|magazine=Air Force|date=31 January 2013|volume =55|issue=1|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/newspapers/raaf/editions/5501/5501.pdf |page=2|access-date=28 November 2016}}

No. 37 Squadron was awarded the Gloucester Cup for proficiency in March 2013.{{cite magazine|url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?iid=90146&crd=0&searchKey=gloucester%20cup#folio=16|title=Proficiency and leadership awards 2013|magazine=Air Force |volume=56 |issue=6|date=10 April 2014|page=16|access-date=28 November 2016}} It celebrated its 70th anniversary on 17 July, undertaking a two-ship flight over Sydney and the Blue Mountains.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hercules-fly-over-sydney-harbour-to-mark-70th-anniversary-of-the-no-37-squadrons-formation/story-fni0cx12-1226680845605|last=Black|first=Simon|title=Hercules fly over Sydney Harbour to mark 70th anniversary of the No 37 Squadron's formation|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=Sydney|date=17 July 2013|access-date=28 November 2016}} That November, the squadron deployed to the Philippines to participate in humanitarian relief operations in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.{{cite magazine| last = Hamilton | first = Eamon|title=Vital assistance|magazine=Air Force|date=5 December 2013|volume =55 |issue=23| url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?iid=84870&startpage=38|page=2|access-date=28 November 2016}} In August 2014, aircraft from No. 37 Squadron based in the Middle East were involved in the airdrop of humanitarian supplies to civilians in Iraq following an offensive by Islamic State forces. The first drop occurred on the night of 13/14 August, when one of the squadron's C-130Js took part in a 16-aircraft mission including US C-17s and C-130Hs and a British C-130J that delivered supplies to Yezidi civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar. According to the Australian Department of Defence, it was the RAAF's "most complex operational humanitarian air drop mission in more than a decade".{{cite press release|url=http://news.defence.gov.au/stories/2014/08/jtf633-supports-herc-mercy-dash/|title=JTF633 supports Herc mercy dash|date=22 August 2014|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=28 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826160817/http://news.defence.gov.au/stories/2014/08/jtf633-supports-herc-mercy-dash/|archive-date=26 August 2014|df=dmy-all}} A second drop was conducted to deliver supplies to isolated civilians in the northern Iraqi town of Amirli.{{cite press release|url=http://news.defence.gov.au/2014/08/31/australia-steps-up-assistance-to-iraqi-people/|title=Australia steps up assistance to Iraqi people|date=31 August 2014|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=28 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928213640/http://news.defence.gov.au/2014/08/31/australia-steps-up-assistance-to-iraqi-people/|archive-date=28 September 2014|df=dmy-all}} By September 2014, the RAAF's C-130Js had accumulated over 100,000 flying hours. Later that month, a C-130J took part in the airlift of arms and munitions to forces in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq; the involvement of RAAF transport aircraft in operations in Iraq is ongoing.{{cite press release|url=http://news.defence.gov.au/2014/09/26/adf-delivers-fifth-shipment-to-iraq/|title=ADF delivers fifth shipment to Iraq|date=26 September 2014|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=28 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006101559/http://news.defence.gov.au/2014/09/26/adf-delivers-fifth-shipment-to-iraq/|archive-date=6 October 2014|df=dmy-all}} From 7 to 10 December 2015, a C-130J of No. 37 Squadron flying out of Guam joined American and Japanese aircraft in Operation Christmas Drop, a humanitarian aerial supply operation in the west Pacific and Micronesia.{{cite magazine|last=Hamilton|first=Eamon|url=http://airforcenews.realviewdigital.com/?iid=136590#folio=16|title=Trilateral triumph|magazine=Air Force|volume=58|issue=1|date=11 February 2016|page=17|access-date=28 November 2016}} No. 37 Squadron was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 13 June 2016 for "sustained outstanding service in warlike operations throughout the Middle East Area of Operations over the period January 2002 to June 2014".{{cite web|url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/qb/qb2016/nS_29ods1A/Media%20Notes%20-%20Dist%20%26%20Conspic.pdf|title=Military – Distinguished & Conspicuous|work=Queen's Birthday Honours List 2016|publisher=Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia|access-date=28 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804001048/http://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/qb/qb2016/nS_29ods1A/Media%20Notes%20-%20Dist%20%26%20Conspic.pdf|archive-date=4 August 2016|url-status=dead}} The squadron commemorated sixty years of RAAF Hercules operations in December 2018, and twenty years of C-130J operations in September 2019.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Raaf/editions/6021/6021.pdf|title=Celebrating 60 years of Hercs|magazine=Air Force|volume=60|issue=21|date=15 November 2018|page=9|access-date=20 June 2020}}{{cite magazine|last=Hamilton|first=Eamon|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Raaf/editions/6117.pdf|title=Cheers to a heavy lifter|magazine=Air Force|volume=61|issue=17|date=19 September 2019|page=7|access-date=20 June 2020}} One of the C-130s flew from Australia to Antarctica in February 2020, the first time a RAAF Hercules had done so since 1983, to provide equipment for the Australian Antarctic Division near Casey Station.{{cite news |last1=Nicholson |first1=Dylan |title=Hercules on ice: RAAF C-130J flight to Antarctica |url=https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/air-sea-lift/5712-hercules-on-ice-raaf-c-130j-flight-to-antarctica |access-date=20 June 2020 |work=Defence Connect |date=9 March 2020}} The squadron was awarded the RAAF Maintenance Trophy in April 2023.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.airforcenewspaper.defence.gov.au/airforce-news/april-13-2023/flipbook/10/|magazine=Air Force| title=Unit awards|page=11|date=13 April 2023|access-date=13 April 2023}} On 8 September 2024, the Squadron carried Pope Francis and a Papal delegation on a mission in Papua New Guinea.{{cite web |title=Providing Airlift Divine Passenger |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2024-09-27/providing-airlift-divine-passenger |website=Defence Australia |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=6 March 2025}}{{cite web |last1=Dougherty |first1=Robert |title=Holy cargo: Pope Francis travels on board RAAF C-130 for PNG visit |url=https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/air/14714-holy-cargo-pope-francis-hitches-a-ride-on-raaf-c-130 |website=Defence Connect |publisher=Defence Connect |access-date=6 March 2025}}

• Lockheed C-130 Hercules in Australian service

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|No. 37 Squadron RAAF}}

• {{cite journal|author=No. 37 Squadron|title =Operations Record Book | url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1358793 |journal=RAAF Unit History Sheets (Form A50)|publisher= National Archives of Australia|date=1943–48}}
• {{cite journal|author=No. 37 Squadron|title =Operations Record Book | url=http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1358808|journal=RAAF Unit History Sheets (Form A50)|publisher= National Archives of Australia|date=1966–78}}
• {{cite book|last=Coulthard-Clark|first=Chris|title=The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962–1975|year=1995|publisher=Allen & Unwin in Association with the Australian War Memorial|location=St. Leonards, New South Wales|isbn=1-86373-305-1}}
• {{cite book|author=Minister for Defence|title=Defence Portfolio Budget Statements 2016–17 |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/budget/16-17/2016-17_Defence_PBS_Complete.pdf|year=2016|publisher=Department of Defence|location=Canberra|isbn= 978-0-9944235-5-9|author-link=Minister for Defence (Australia) }}

• {{cite book|last=McPhedran| first=Ian|author-link=Ian McPhedran|year=2011| title=Air Force: Inside the New Era of Australian Air Power| location= Sydney| publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-7322-9025-2}}
• {{cite book|last=Odgers | first=George |author-link=George Odgers|orig-year=1957| year=1968| title=Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume II – Air War Against Japan 1943–1945 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial| url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070210/|oclc=246580191}}

• {{cite book|author=RAAF Historical Section|year=1995|title=Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 4: Maritime and Transport Units|location=Canberra| publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|isbn=0-644-42796-5}}
• {{cite book|author=RAAF Historical Section|year=1995|title=Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 7: Maintenance Units|location=Canberra| publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|isbn=0-644-42798-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Roylance| first=Derek | year=1991| title=Air Base Richmond|location=RAAF Base Richmond|publisher=Royal Australian Air Force|isbn=0-646-05212-8}}
• {{cite book|last=Stephens| first=Alan| year=1995| title=Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971|location=Canberra|publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|isbn=0-644-42803-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Stephens| first=Alan|orig-year=2001|year=2006| title=The Royal Australian Air Force: A History|location=London| publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-555541-4}}
• {{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Stewart|title=Dakota, Hercules, and Caribou in Australian Service|year=1990|publisher=Aerospace Publications|location=Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory|isbn=0-9587978-5-4}}

{{List of RAAF Squadrons}}

Category:Air force transport squadrons

37

Category:Military units and formations established in 1943