List of Army Air Corps aircraft units (United Kingdom)
Appearance
This is a list of British Army Army Air Corps aircraft units.
Current units
[edit]Current Wings
[edit]- Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (Tri service)
Current Brigades
[edit]Current Regiments
[edit]Regiment | Founded at |
Founded on |
Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 Regiment | RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) | [2] | ||
2 (Training) Regiment | Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop Flying Station | [3] | ||
3 Regiment | Wattisham Flying Station | [4] | ||
4 Regiment | Wattisham Flying Station | [5] | ||
5 Regiment | Middle Wallop Flying Station | [6] | ||
6 Regiment (Reserve) | RHQ at Middle Wallop Flying Station | [7] | ||
7 (Training) Regiment | Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop Flying Station | [3] | ||
9 Regiment | RAF Shawbury | [8] |
Current Squadrons
[edit]Squadron | Founded at |
Founded on |
Current aircraft |
Unit | Role | Locations used |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
651 Squadron | n/a | 1 Regiment | previously operated the Defender | ||||
652 (Wildcat Fielding) Squadron | AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1 | 1 Regiment | Aviation Reconnaissance | ||||
653 Squadron | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 3 Regiment | Aviation Attack | ||||
656 Squadron | Noble Field, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1 September 1957 | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 4 Regiment | Aviation Attack | Kluang (1962)[9] Kuching (1965)[10] Seremban (1968)[11] | Formerly No. 656 (Light Aircraft) Squadron AAC[12] |
658 Squadron | Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II | Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) | Special Forces Support | ||||
659 Squadron | AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1 | 1 Regiment | Aviation Reconnaissance | ||||
660 Squadron | Eurocopter Juno HT1 | No. 1 Flying Training School RAF 2 Maritime Air Wing (2 MAW) |
Training | ||||
661 Squadron | AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1 | 1 Regiment | Aviation Reconnaissance | ||||
662 Squadron | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 3 Regiment | Aviation Attack | ||||
663 Squadron | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 3 Regiment | Aviation Attack | ||||
664 Squadron | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 4 Regiment | Aviation Attack | ||||
668 (Trg) Squadron | n/a | 2 (Training) Regiment | Groundcrew Training | ||||
670 Squadron | Eurocopter Juno HT1 | 9 Regiment | Training | ||||
671 Squadron | n/a | 7 (Training) Regiment | Training | ||||
673 Squadron | Boeing Apache AH-64E | 7 (Training) Regiment | Training | ||||
674 Squadron | Grob Tutor T1 | Army Aviation Centre | Grading | ||||
675 (The Rifles) Squadron | n/a | 6 Regiment (Reserve) | Groundcrew | ||||
676 Squadron | n/a | 2 (Training) Regiment | Training | ||||
677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron | n/a | 6 Regiment (Reserve) | Groundcrew | ||||
679 (The Duke of Connaught's) Squadron | n/a | 6 Regiment (Reserve) | Groundcrew |
Former Units
[edit]Former Wings
[edit]Wing | Founded at |
Founded on |
Disbanded at |
Disbanded on |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 1 Wing AAC | Detmold | 1958 | 1989 | ||
No. 2 Wing AAC | Northern Ireland | 1958 | 1989 | ||
No. 4 Wing AAC | Singapore[10] | 1965 | Singapore | 11 January 1971[13] | Co-located with HQ FARELF |
Former Squadrons
[edit]Squadron | Founded at |
Founded on |
Disbandment on |
Disbanded at |
Last unit |
Last aircraft |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
654 Squadron | July 2014 | [14] | |||||
655 Squadron | 1 April 2014 | Middle Wallop Flying Station | 6 Regt | Groundcrew | |||
657 Squadron | May 2018 | RAF Odiham | JSFAW | Westland Lynx AH9A | |||
665 Squadron | 31 October 2024 | JHC FS Aldergrove | 5 Regt | Westland Gazelle AH1 | [15] | ||
666 Squadron | 1 April 2009 | AAC Netheravon | 7 Regt | Gazelle AH.1 | |||
667 Squadron | 2022 | Medicina Lines | Bell 212 AH1/AH3 | [16] | |||
669 Squadron | 31 July 2016 | Dishforth Airfield | 9 Regt | Lynx AH.9A | |||
672 Squadron | 31 July 2016 | Dishforth Airfield | 9 Regt | Lynx AH.9A | |||
678 (The Rifles) Squadron | n/a | 6 Regt | Groundcrew (Reserve) |
Former Flights
[edit]Flight | Founded at |
Founded on |
Disbanded at |
Disbanded on |
Aircraft operated |
Locations used |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Flight | Hobart Barracks, Detmold, Germany | 1 September 1957 | JHC FS Aldergrove | 2008 | Formerly No. 1 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1901 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[18][19] | ||
2 Flight | Ipoh, Perak, Malaya[20] ? |
1 September 1957 ? |
Seremban Netheravon |
March 1970 1992 |
Auster AOP.9, Scout |
Northern Ireland (1962)[21] Seremban (1968) [11] |
Formerly No. 2 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1902 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] |
3 Flight | 1 September 1957 | RAF Leuchars | 2009 | Formerly No. 3 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | |||
4 Flight | 1 September 1957 | Formerly No. 4 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1904 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | |||||
5 Flight | 1 September 1957 | Formerly No. 5 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17]} (Formerly: No. 1905 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | |||||
6 Flight | Middle Wallop | 1 September 1957 1993 |
RAF Shawbury | 2009 | Sycamore, Skeeter, Auster AOP.9[22] Beaver & Alouette II[23] |
Formerly No. 6 Independent Depot/Liaison Flight AAC Formerly No. 6 Independent Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1906 (Helicopter) Flight RAF)[19] | |
7 Flight | Taiping, Malaya[20] Berlin |
1 September 1957 ? |
Terendak Medicina Lines, Brunei |
December 1969[11] 1 August 2021 |
Auster AOP.9, Scout | Noble Field (1961) Kluang (1961)[24] Brunei Airport (1962[25]-February 1963[26] Terendak (1968)[11] |
Formerly No. 7 Reconnaissance Flight AAC Formerly No. 7 Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1907 Light Liaison Flight RAF) (Formerly: No. 1907 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] |
8 Flight | Malta | 1 September 1957 | Stirling Lines | 1 September 2013 | Formerly No. 8 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1908 Independent Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | ||
9 Flight | 1 September 1957 1968 |
Formerly No. 9 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1909 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | |||||
10 Flight | Cyprus | 1 September 1957 | Kluang (1964)[27] Netheravon (1967)[10] |
Formerly No. 10 Reconnaissance Flight AAC Formerly No. 10 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1910 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19]} | |||
11 Flight | Sembawang, Malaya[20] Kangaw Barracks (Sembawang) |
1 September 1957 1971 |
Sembawang ? |
11 January 1971[13] 1975[28] |
Auster AOP.9, Scout Sioux |
Kluang (1962)[21] Brunei Airport (February 1963)[26] Serembang (1970)[29] |
Formerly No. 11 Reconnaissance/Liaison Flight AAC Formerly No. 11 Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1911 Light Liaison Flight RAF)[19] Formerly RE Air Troop, Jungle Warfare School[13] |
12 Flight | 1 September 1957 | Elmpt Station, Germany | 2009 | Formerly No. 12 Independent Liaison Flight AAC Formerly No. 12 Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1912 Light Liaison Flight RAF)[19] | |||
13 Flight | Northern Ireland | 1 September 1957 1961 |
Formerly No. 13 Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1913 Light Liaison Flight RAF)[19] | ||||
14 Flight | Paroi, Seremban, Malaya[20] | 1 September 1957 | Seremban | January 1970[29] | Auster AOP.9, Beaver, Scout | Kluang (1962)[21] Brunei Airport (1962)[25] Seremban (1968)[11] |
Formerly No. 14 Reconnaissance/Liaison Flight AAC Formerly No. 14 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1914 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[30]62 |
15 Flight | Cyprus | 1 September 1957 1959 |
Formerly No. 15 Independent Liaison Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1915 Independent Air Observation Post Flight RAF) (Formerly: No. 1915 Light Liaison Flight RAF)[30] | ||||
16 Flight | Noble Field, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya ? |
Late 1950s ? |
Klulang Dhekelia, Cyprus |
1964[27] 1998 |
Auster AOP.9 ? |
Kluang (1962)[21] | Formerly No. 16 Reconnaissance Flight AAC[9] Became 4th Royal Tank Regiment Air Squadron[27] ? |
17 Flight | |||||||
18 Flight | 1969 | BAOR[31] | |||||
20 Flight | Kai Tak, Hong Kong | 1 September 1957 | Formerly No. 20 Independent Reconnaissance Flight AAC[17] (Formerly: No. 1900 Air Observation Post Flight RAF)[19] | ||||
21 Flight | 1961 | 1967 | |||||
22 Flight | 1962 | ||||||
23 Flight | 1969 | ||||||
24 Flight | BAOR | ||||||
25 Flight | Belize | 1987 | Nanyuki, Kenya | September 2015 | BATUK | ||
26 Flight | |||||||
27 Flight | BAOR | ||||||
29 (BATUS) Flight | Suffield, Canada | 1972 | Suffield, Canada | [Note 1] October 2021 | [32] 5 Regiment AAC had administrative responsibility for 29 (BATUS) Flight. | ||
132 Flight | 1966 | 1974 | |||||
'C' Flight | (Seria, Brunei) | ||||||
UNFICYP Flight | Cyprus | 27 March 1964 | Cyprus | 30 September 1994 | (Nicosia Airport, Cyprus) |
Other units
[edit]- The Light Aircraft School RAF became the Army Air Corps Centre[17]
- Air Troop, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards - Skeeter (1962)[27][10]
- 4th Royal Tank Regiment Air Squadron - Auster AOP.9 (1964) (previously 16 Flight)[27]
- Scots Guards Air Platoon - Sioux (1966)[33]
- Air Platoon, 40 Commando RM (1965)[10]
- Air OP Troop, 45 Light Regiment RA (1965)[10]
- Air Squadron, Life Guards (1967)[34]
- Air Platoon, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Gurkha Rifles (1967)[34]
- Air Platoon, 1st Battalion King's Somerset Light Infantry (1967)[34] - Sioux[11]
- Air Troop, 42 Commando RM (1967)[34]
- Air Troop, 249 Signals Squadron (1967)[34] Disbanded March 1969[11]
- Air OP Troop, 95 Commando Light Regiment RA (1967)[34]
- Air Platoon, 3rd Battalion, The Light Infantry - disbanded April 1969[11]
- Air OP Troop, 14 Light Regiment RA - disbanded November 1969[11]
- 30 Flight RASC - Beaver (1964)[27]
- 130 Flight RCT - Beaver (1968)[11] - Middle Wallop (1970)[29]
- 28 ANZUK Aviation Squadron - Sioux[13]
- RE Air Troop, Jungle Warfare School, Johore - became 11 Flight AAC - Sioux[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Placed in suspended animation
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ "British Army Launches First Ever Aviation Brigade". Forces Net. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "1 Regt AAC (@1_Regt_AAC) / Twitter".
- ^ a b "Aviation | The British Army".
- ^ "3 Regiment Army Air Corps (@CO_3RegimentAAC) / Twitter".
- ^ "4 Regiment Army Air Corps (@4RegimentAAC) / Twitter".
- ^ "JHC FS Aldergrove | Royal Air Force".
- ^ "Army Air Corps | The British Army".
- ^ "RAF Shawbury | Royal Air Force".
- ^ a b Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 42.
- ^ a b c d e f Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 69.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 71.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 40.
- ^ a b c d e Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 73.
- ^ "654 Squadron's Last Parade Before Disbandment". Forces TV. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ "VIDEO: British Army bids farewell to 665 Squadron and final Gazelles". Key Publishing. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "RAF Pumas to replace Bell helicopters in Brunei and Cyprus".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 37.
- ^ "1901 (Air Observation Post) Flight". Helicopter History Site. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 130.
- ^ a b c d Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 45.
- ^ a b c d Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 66.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 38.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 39.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 65.
- ^ a b Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 78.
- ^ a b Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 79.
- ^ a b c d e f Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 67.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 75.
- ^ a b c Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 72.
- ^ a b Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 131.
- ^ Watson 2005, p. 57.
- ^ "20241128 FOI22256 response.pdf". www.whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 68.
- ^ a b c d e f Greenacre & Peters 2024, p. 70.
Bibliography
[edit]- Greenacre, John; Peters, Mike (2024). Ops Normal - The Authorised Operational History of the AAC 1957-2017. Vol. 1 (1957-79). Warwick, UK: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-804515-34-1.
- Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.
- Watson, G; Rinaldi, R (2005). The British Army in Germany: An Organizational History 1947–2004. Tiger Lily Publications. ISBN 0-9720296-9-9.