Re: !Wings of 12
At the end of the Harrier's life, there were notionally two RAF Squadrons, and two RN Squadrons (though under RAF control). However the RAF ran down the two RN squadrons to the point that they didn't have enough aircrew or groundstaff to man both. So the RN was forced to try and hide the fact by compositing 800 and 801 NAS into the "Naval Strike Wing" to create one thinly crewed squadron, with the pretence that a second squadron existed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Strike_Wing
Yet another example of the RAF shafting the RN
The F-35 Naval Strike Wing will be the same - 809 Squadron will never be fully manned, instead you'll get a rag-tag composite group made up from whoever the RAF have spare at the time from the whole F-35 fleet. Because its unstructured it won't qualify as a Squadron - so it'll be disguised as a "wing" instead
Biting the hand that feeds IT
