3 Regiment Army Air Corps (3 Regt AAC) is a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and is part of the

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the Britis ...

and Attack Helicopter Force (AHF), which is under the authority of the

Joint Helicopter Command Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of the British Armed Forces for command and coordination purposes. History Background Over the years, the grouping of all battlefield suppo ...

(JHC). As of April 2022, this regiment's commanding officer (CO) is

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

(Lt. Col.) Simon Wilsey and it is based at Wattisham Flying StationAlso known as Wattisham Airfield. Prior to its take over by the Army Air Corps, it was the Royal Air Force Station Wattisham. in

Suffolk, England Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. This regiment operates the Apache AH Mk1The Apache AH Mk1 is a variant of the U.S. Army's AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. The Mk1 was built under license from Boeing by AgustaWestland for the British Army. AgustaWestland called it the WAH-64 but, it's official designation from the Ministry of Defense is the Apache AH Mk1. attack helicopter.3 Regiment AAC is transitioning to the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. They received 14 new AH-64E Apaches on January 21, 2022 and they expect to receive 36 more by summer 2024.

History

On October 24, 1969, the 3 Division Aviation Regiment was formed. At that time, it comprised the 653 Aviation Squadron (

Netheravon Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain. The village is on the right (west) bank of the Avon, opposite Fit ...

), the 664 Aviation Squadron (

Perham Down Perham Down is a village in Wiltshire, England, in Tidworth parish on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. It lies on a minor road about east of the town of Tidworth and southwest of the town of Ludgershall. The county border with Hampshire is ...

), the 665 Aviation Squadron (

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

) and the 666 Aviation Squadron (

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

) as well as 2 Aviation Flight (

). On January 1, 1973, the regiment was renamed 3 Regiment Army Air Corps (3 Regt AAC) and each of its Aviation Squadrons (Sqns) were re-designated

Squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

AAC. Around 1978, the regiment was reformed at

Salamanca Barracks Soest-Bad Sassendorf Airfield (ICAO: EDLZ), located in the Sauerland region close to Soest and the Möhnesee, between the A 44 and B 1, is now a civilian airfield. It is rated / approved as a 'special landing site'. These are often used by pr ...

in Soest, Germany, where it was composed of the 653 Sqn AAC and 663 Sqn AAC. In 1982, the 662 Sqn AAC was reassigned from 2 Regt AAC to 3 Regt AAC and moved to Salamanca Barracks as well. During this period, the regiment operated Gazelle Mk1 and Lynx Mk7 helicopters with the mission of providing direct aviation support to 3 (United Kingdom) Division (The Iron Division)It is not unusual to see the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division referred to as the 3rd (UK) Armoured Division. The 3rd (UK) Division is in fact an armoured division although, the current name no longer includes the word armoured. in the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The regiment remained in Germany until 1992. In the summer of 1993, 3 Regt AAC, then comprising the 653, 662, and 663 Sqns, was relocated to the Wattisham Flying Station, Suffolk in support of 24 Air Mobile Brigade which was renamed the

in 1999 and created from elements of 5 Airborne Brigade and 24 Airmobile Brigade. In 2005, all of the regiment's squadrons began converting from the Lynx to the Apache AH Mk1 attack helicopter. In 2022, the regiment began to transition to the Apache AH-64E. They received 14 of the new attack helicopters on January 21, 2022. They expect to receive an additional 36 AH-64Es by summer, 2024, to complete the transition.

Deployments

Elements of the 3 Regiment AAC have been deployed multiple times since its formation. In its early history, elements of the 3 Regt AAC served roulemont tours of duty in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

and

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

. 1995 Operation HAMDEN In August, 1995 662 Sqn was deployed to

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

for a 3 month tour of duty as part of Operation HAMDEN in support of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Rapid Reaction Force to Croatia. Sqn 663 took part in roulemont tours in Croatia at this time. 1996 Exercise MEDICINE MAN 3 662 Sqn deployed to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to take part in Exercise Medicine Man 3 during June and July 1996. 1997 Exercise GRAND PRIX 2 In January 1997, 662 Sqn deployed again, this time to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, to take part in Exercise GRAND PRIX 2 with the role of supporting the 1 Royal Scots. 1997, 1999 Bosnia Sqn 662 engaged in regimental training exercises to practice mountain-flying techniques at RAF Lossiemounth,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in preparation for deployment to

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

in 1999. The squadron's tour in Bosnia lasted 6 months. Sqn 663 also took part in roulemont tours in Bosnia in 1997 and 1999. 1999 Operation AGRICOLA In 1999 the 653 Sqn deployed to

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

in support of Operation AGRICOLA, part of the UK's contribution to NATO's

Operation Joint Guardian Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Operation (game), ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * Operations (magazine ...

, the core of NATO's Kosovo Peace Keeping Force (KFOR). 2000 Exercise IRON HAWK Mid summer, 2000, Sqn 662, Sqn 663, and elements of Sqn 653 deployed to the

British Army Training Unit Suffield The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Suffield, Alberta, Canada. BATUS is the British Army's largest armoured training facility, and it can ...

(BATUS) in Canada to take part in the training operation Exercise IRON HAWK. 2003 Operation TELIC 1 Between January and July 2003, elements of the 3 Regt AAC deployed to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

as part of Operation TELIC 1. This deployment included 12 Lynx AH 7/9 and 10 Gazelle AH1 helicopters from 662 Sqn and 663 Sqn.Further readin
History - Op TELIC Stabilisation Operations Apr/May 03
/ref> 2006 Exercise CRIMSON STORM Exercise CRIMSON STORM was a two week training exercise that took place in February 2006. Initial training for this exercise took place at the

Stanford Training Area Stanford Training Area (STANTA), originally known as Stanford Battle Area, is a British Army training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately in size; it is some north of the town of Thetford and south-west ...

(STANTA). After initial training, the regiment relocated to Keevil Airfield from which it launched mock raids and reconnaissance (recces) missions onto

Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor ( kw, Goon Brenn) is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough Tor, a s ...

. During this exercise, the regiment also conducted fighting in built-up areas (

FIBUA Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and city, cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the Military operation, operational and the Military tactics, tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban war ...

) training on Salibury plain. 2006 Operation OCULUS March 2006, as part of Operation OCULUS, the regiment deployed 5 Lynx helicopters and 80 personnel from its 653 Sqn for a six month tour to

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

. While there, they operated in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

and Banja-luka in support of the European Peace Keeping Force. 2012 - 2014

Operation HERRICK Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assis ...

Elements of 3 Regt AAC deployed repeatedly to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

as part of Operation Herrick. On one occasion, after returning from a four-month deployment in the

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...

, Afghanistan, the personnel of 662 Sqn were awarded Operational Service Medals. The award ceremony took place at Wattisham Flying Station on May 9, 2013, where

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, Colonel in Chief, Army Air Corps, handed the Operational Service Medals to the members of the squadron. 2018 Exercise TALON GRAVIS Apache attack helicopters over Suffolk during Exercise Talon Gravis

Apache attack helicopters over Suffolk during Exercise Talon Gravis

In June 2018, 3 Regt AAC took part in Exercise TALON GRAVIS. Operating out of Wattisham Flying Station, this training mission pitted the regiment against simulated enemy air defenses and required the regiment to find various targets as far away as 300 miles away. The missions were flown by formations of up to eight Apaches during both day and night conditions. They even practiced replenishing at a

Forward Arming and Refuelling Point A forward arming and refuelling point (FARP) or forward area refuelling pointUSAF DVID(11 Dec 2022) MQ-9 FARP in a Combat Area

Operation CABRIT Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward-deployed defense and deterrence military force in Central and Northern Europe. This posture in Central Europe through Poland and Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, is i ...

April 15, 2019, Helicopters from the 663 Sqn left Wattisham Flying Station beginning a 3 month deployment to Estonia. There they joined Operation CABRIT, an ongoing operation in the Baltic states as part of the UK's contribution to NATO’s NATO Enhanced Forward Presence, enhanced Forward Presence (EFP). The addition of the 663 Sqn, boosted the UK's presence in the Baltic states to around 1,000 personnel making the UK the largest contributor to the eFP. During this deployment, 663 Sqn took part in Estonia’s annual Exercise Spring Storm, a training exercise for the NATO allies.

3 Regt AAC participation in the royal wedding

During the royal wedding, members of 3 Regt AAC, under the command of Captain William Zehner, formed one of the five half companies that lined the route of the royal carriage. The half company consisted of one officer and twenty-four other ranks, drawn from each cap badge represented within the Regiment (

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers". History Prior to REME's for ...

, and the

Adjutant General's Corps The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services, named for the Adjutant-General to the Forces (now the Commander Home Command). As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 peopl ...

Prince Harry of Wales affiliation with 3 Regt AAC

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

'Captain Wales' served as an attack helicopter pilot in 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment AAC, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Tom de la Rue. The prince participated in various exercises, both at home and overseas, and deployed to Afghanistan with the squadron on Operation Herrick from September 2012 to January 2013. During his time in the regiment, he completed a series of tests to gain aircraft commander status so as to qualify to command single-handedly multi-ship and helicopter attack in missions day and night.

Composition

The regiment consists of:

No. 653 Squadron AAC 653 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). It traces much of its history to No. 653 Squadron Royal Air Force, an Air Observation Post Squadron active from 20 June 1942 – 15 September 1945, during and after the S ...

No. 662 Squadron AAC No. 662 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) which flies the AgustaWestland Apache AH.1 from Wattisham Airfield as part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. History 662 Air Observation Sqn RAF was formed on 30 Septe ...

No. 663 Squadron AAC

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Army Air Corps regiments Military units and formations established in 1969