[5] Victorious, including 849 in its Carrier Air Group, took part in operations in support of the American invasion of Okinawa from March to May 1945, flying strikes against airfields used by Japanese Kamikaze aircraft on the Sakishima Islands and on Formosa.

Following the retirement of the Skyraiders in December 1960, the unit flew the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 in the same role, operating from HMS Eagle, Ark Royal, Centaur, Hermes and Victorious.

It reformed after the lessons of the 1982 South Atlantic campaign had been learned, on 8 November 1984 and the unit then operated the Westland Sea King Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) helicopter.

The squadron suffered heavy losses during the 2003 invasion of Iraq when two of its aircraft operating from HMS Ark Royal collided during low visibility conditions.

In May 2014, the MOD announced that seven ASaC.7 helicopters, to be operated by 849 Naval Air Squadron, would remain in service with the RN through to the second half of 2018; the remainder of the Royal Navy's Sea Kings, of all types, were to be withdrawn by 2016.

[1] 849NAS briefly operated a single Augusta Westland Merlin HM Mk2 from February 2020 in anticipation of the Mk2 receiving the Crowsnest upgraded ASaC system.