WWI's end brought little change to the routine. Equipped now with Bristol F2B Fighters, 31's army co-operation role was to continue for the next two decades. Emerging air power in the hostile Frontier region led to the Squadron's decisive involvement in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, and air policing proved an effective method of keeping skirmishing under control. Bases changed regularly as operations dictated. The most permanent was Quetta, but the Squadron suffered many fatalities there in 1935 when a massive earthquake struck the area.

31 had re-equipped with the Westland Wapitis in 1931, but 1939 saw a change of role. Following conversion to ancient Valentia twin-engined biplanes, the Squadron assumed the mantle of the existing Bomber/Transport flight at Lahore.

After Japan's surrender, 31 moved to Java to transport released internees and POWs from jungle camps to repatriation centres. This humanitarian mission evolved into combat as the Indonesian independence movement gained momentum, and the Squadron suffered many casualties. Indeed a number of its personnel were murdered near its base at Kemajorang. Java operations ended in autumn 1946, and the Squadron reformed near Karachi. During religious and ethnic unrest associated with Indian independence and partition, thousands of refugees were transported. From Independence Day, 15 August 1947, the Squadron's base at Mauripur found itself in newly-formed Pakistan. With its task completed, the Squadron disbanded at the year's end. But in July 1948, 31 reformed at RAF Hendon, its first home base since 1915. Equipped with Ansons and Devons, the Squadron flew communications and air ambulance duties. Spitfires, Proctors and Chipmunks were also available, both for communications and to keep staff officers in current flying practice.

Despite the thawing of the Cold War, operations occupied 31 for upwards of twenty years from the time of the 1991 Gulf War I (Op Granby). During that conflict, OC 31 led the Tornado GR1 contingent at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, which comprised not only 31 but also elements of five other Squadrons.

With the withdrawal of RAF forces from Germany, the Goldstars (as 31 was coming to be known) came home again, this time to their current location at RAF Marham. In August 2001, 31 was the last RAF Squadron to leave Germany.

Almost as soon as the Tornado GR4s were released from the Gulf in 2009, they were assigned to Afghanistan (Op Herrick). And, until the final pull-out of British combat forces in 2014, regular deployments to Kandahar were performed in support of multi-national International Security Assistance Force operations. These were designed, inter alia, to reduce the threat to the West from Afghanistan-based terrorist organisations. They offered challenging work, not least in view of the continued imperative to improve capability while achieving economies. Almost symbolically, the Goldstars were the 'Last in Afghan Skies', operating in the same theatre and army support role in which the Squadron grew up almost a century ago.

No. 31 Squadron was disbanded on 14 March 2019 at RAF Marham and will reform sometime around 2024 at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, equipped with up to sixteen General Atomics MQ-9B, a remotely piloted air system (RPAS), which will be known as the Protector RG1 in RAF service.