After seeing action in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II, the unit was disbanded in July 1946.

Its initial operations included patrols around Nadzab, escorting Allied bombers and ground attack missions against Japanese forces in and around Alexishafen and Madang.

The squadron moved to Cape Gloucester, New Britain on 21 March to escort convoys and conduct armed reconnaissance patrols.

It moved again on 29 April to Tadji on the New Guinea mainland where it flew patrols to protect the Allied landing at Hollandia.

80 Squadron conducted ground attack operations over western New Guinea and the eastern islands of the Netherlands East Indies.

80 Squadron's pilots were ferrying Kittyhawks from Noemfoor to Morotai when they missed their destination and had to land on the Japanese-held Talaud Islands, where they were captured and executed.

[6] Later that month its commander, Squadron Leader John Waddy, participated in the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" as a protest against what he and seven other senior pilots saw as the misuse of the First Tactical Air Force in unimportant operations.

80 Squadron flew close air support operations during the Battle of Balikpapan, but found few worthwhile targets.

In late 1945 the squadron's personnel embarked aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Glory which carried them to Sydney via Manus Island.

Glory arrived at Sydney on 12 December 1945 and the members of the squadron from New South Wales proceeded to Deniliquin and the remainder were sent on leave.

The Laboratory is responsible for developing and testing mission data files used by Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft to detect and counter threats in the electromagnetic spectrum.