The Army Air Corps (AAC) is a component 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 ...

, first formed in 1942 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments (seven

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

and one

Reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

) of the AAC as well as four Independent Flights and two Independent Squadrons deployed in support of British Army operations around the world. Regiments and flights are located in the United Kingdom, Brunei, Canada, and Germany. Some AAC squadrons provide the air assault elements of

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 ...

through

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 ...

History

First formation: 1942–1949

The British Army first took to the sky during the 19th century with the use of observation balloons. In 1911 the

Air Battalion The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. Founded in 1911, the battalion in 1912 became part of the Royal Flying Corps, which in turn evolved into the R ...

of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

was the first heavier-than-air British military aviation unit. The following year, the battalion was expanded into the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps which saw action throughout most of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

until 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

to form the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. Between the wars, the army used RAF co-operation squadrons. At the beginning of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

officers, with the assistance of RAF technicians, flew

Auster Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.Willis, issue 122, p.55 History The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited, ma ...

observation aircraft under RAF-owned

Air Observation Post Air Observation Post (AOP) is an aeroplane or helicopter used in the role of artillery spotter by the British Army and Commonwealth forces. In this role, either the pilot of the aircraft or another crew member acts as an observer watching for tar ...

(AOP) Squadrons. Twelve squadrons were raised, three of which belonged to the

RCAF The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

and each performed vital duties in many theatres. In 1942,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

announced the establishment of a new branch of army aviation, the Army Air Corps. The corps initially comprised the

Glider Pilot Regiment The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War, which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European theatre in support of Allied airborne operations. Establis ...

and the Parachute Battalions (subsequently the Parachute Regiment), Air Landing Regiments, and the Air Observation Post Squadrons. In March 1944, the SAS Regiment was added to the corps. One of their most successful exploits during the war was the

capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges The capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges (wrongly known as Operation Deadstick (which in fact was a specialized glider exercise), and in official documents as Operation Coup de Main) was an operation by airborne forces of the Briti ...

by , which occurred on 6 June 1944, prior to the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

. Once the three gliders landed, some roughly which incurred casualties, the pilots joined the glider-borne troops ( Ox & Bucks Light Infantry) to act as infantry. The bridge was taken within ten minutes of the battle commencing and the men withstood numerous attempts by the Germans to re-capture the location. They were soon reinforced and relieved by soldiers from the 1 Special Service Brigade (

Lord Lovat Lord Lovat ( gd, Mac Shimidh) is a title of the rank Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat, Hugh Fraser by summoning him to the Scottish Parliament as Lord Fraser of Lovat, altho ...

). The AAC was disbanded in 1949, with the SAS regaining independent status, while the Parachute Regiment and Glider Pilot Regiment came under the umbrella of the Glider Pilot and Parachute Corps.

Second formation: 1957–present

Army Air Corps Lynx linking up with RAF regiment vehicle patrol

Apache attack helicopters over Suffolk during Exercise Talon Gravis

In 1957 the Glider Pilot and Parachute Corps was split, with the Parachute Regiment becoming an independent formation, while the

was merged with the Air Observation Squadrons of the Royal Artillery into a new unit, the Army Air Corps. In 1958 the

Saunders-Roe Skeeter The Saunders-Roe Skeeter was a two-seat training and scout helicopter that was developed and produced by British manufacturer Saunders-Roe ("Saro") of Cowes and Southampton, in the United Kingdom. Work on what would become the Skeeter had bee ...

7 was introduced as the AAC's first helicopter, it was replaced by the

Aérospatiale Alouette II The Aérospatiale Alouette II (, " lark"; company designations SE 313 and SA 318) is a French light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale. It was the first production helicopter powered by a gas turbine ...

and

Westland Scout The Westland Scout is a light helicopter developed by Westland Helicopters. Developed from the Saro P.531, it served as a land-based general purpose military helicopter, sharing a common ancestor and numerous components with the naval-orientat ...

AH.1 during the early 1960s. The

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used ...

AL.1 was introduced during the 1960s along with the Agusta/Westland Sioux AH.1 in 1964. From 1970, nearly every army

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

had at least one Aviation Squadron that usually numbered twelve aircraft. The main rotor aircraft during the 1970s were the

and Bell Sioux general purpose helicopters. The Sioux was replaced from 1973 by the

Westland Gazelle Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...

used for Airborne reconnaissance; initially unarmed, they were converted to carry 68mm

SNEB The SNEB rocket (french: Societe Nouvelle des Etablissements Edgar Brandt) is an unguided air-to-ground rocket projectile manufactured by the French company ''TDA Armements'', designed for launch by combat aircraft and helicopters. It is also k ...

rocket pods in 1982, during the Falklands War. The Scout was replaced from 1978 by the

Westland Lynx The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...

, which was capable of carrying additional firepower in the form of

door gunner A door gunner is a crewman tasked with firing and maintaining manually directed armament aboard a military helicopter. The actual role will vary depending on the task given on a particular mission. For certain aircraft a door gunner would use a ...

s. Basic rotary flying training was carried out on the Sioux in the 1970s, on the Gazelle in the 1980s and 1990s, and is currently conducted on the Eurocopter H145 through the Defence Helicopter Flying School. Fixed-wing types in AAC service have included the

Auster AOP.6 The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service. History The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...

and AOP.9 and DHC-2 Beaver AL.1 in observation and liaison roles. In 1989, the AAC commenced operating a number of Britten-Norman Islander aircraft for surveillance and light transport duties. The corps operated the DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 in a training role until its replacement by the

Slingsby T67 Firefly The Slingsby T67 Firefly, originally produced as the Fournier RF-6, is a two-seat aerobatic training aircraft, built by Slingsby Aviation in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, England. It has been used as a trainer aircraft by several armed forces, as ...

in the 1990s. The Firefly was replaced by the

Grob Tutor The Grob G 115 is a general aviation fixed-wing aircraft, primarily used for flight training. It is built in Germany by Grob Aircraft (Grob Aerospace before January 2009). The E variant with a 3-blade variable pitch propeller is in service wi ...

in 2010.

Cold War

During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

the majority of Army Air Corps units were based in Germany and part of the

British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located ...

. At the beginning of 1989 the Army Air Corps structure was as follows: * Army Air Corps, AAC Middle Wallop ** 1 Wing AAC,

Hobart Barracks Hobart Barracks is a former military airfield, located 1.6 km east-northeast of Detmold in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History Inter War years Flughafen Detmold was built in 1934 on the northeastern edge of the city and was intended ...

Detmold Detmold () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of . It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947. Today it is the administrative center of ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, under operational control of Commander Aviation

1st British Corps I Corps ("First Corps") was an army corps in existence as an active formation in the British Army for most of the 80 years from its creation in the First World War until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-lived ...

(Wing disbanded during 1989) *** 1 Regiment AAC,

Tofrek Barracks Flugplatz Hildesheim-Drispenstedt is an airfield located near Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was formerly Tofrek Barracks a British Army installation used during both the Second World War and the Cold War. The airfield is home to the M'e ...

in Hildesheim, supported 1st Armoured Division **** 651 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 652 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 661 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) *** 3 Regiment AAC,

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, supported 3rd Armoured Division **** 653 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 662 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) **** 663 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) *** 4 Regiment AAC, Hobart Barracks in Detmold, supported 4th Armoured Division **** 654 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 659 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 669 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) ** 2 Wing AAC, AAC Netheravon (Wing disbanded during 1989) *** Northern Ireland Regiment AAC, AAC Aldergrove (Later renamed 5 Regiment AAC) **** 655 Squadron AAC, AAC Ballykelly, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 2nd Infantry Division **** 665 Squadron AAC, (16x Gazelle AH.1), supported

HQ Northern Ireland HQ Northern Ireland was the formation responsible for the British Army in and around Northern Ireland. It was established in 1922 and disbanded, replaced by a brigade-level Army Reserve formation, 38 (Irish) Brigade, in 2009. History Ireland was ...

**** 1 Flight AAC, (Reconnaissance, 4x DHC-2 Beaver AOP) *** 7 Regiment AAC, AAC Netheravon **** 656 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 1st Infantry Brigade **** 666 Squadron AAC (V), (Territorial Army, Home Defence, 12x Gazelle AH.1) **** 2 Flight AAC, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

AMF(L) The Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (AMF) was a small NATO quick reaction force, headquartered at Heidelberg, Germany, active from 1960 to 2002. It formed part of Allied Command Europe (ACE), headquartered at SHAPE at Casteau, Belgium. The lan ...

*** 657 Squadron AAC,

Colchester Garrison Colchester Garrison is a major garrison located in Colchester in the county of Essex, Eastern England. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX ...

, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 9th Infantry Brigade; joined 9 Regiment AAC in July 1990. ** 9 Regiment AAC,

RAF Topcliffe Royal Air Force Topcliffe or RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. It was established as a RAF Bomber Command station in 1940. The British Army took over a large part of the site in 1974 and the airfield beca ...

, part of 24th Airmobile Brigade *** 672 Squadron AAC, (Lynx Light Battlefield Helicopter Squadron, activated 1 January 1990, 12x Lynx AH.9) *** 3 Flight AAC, (4x Gazelle AH.1) ** School of Army Aviation, AAC Middle Wallop *** 670 Squadron AAC, Middle Wallop, (Operational Training, 12x Gazelle AH.1, activated 1989) *** 671 Squadron AAC, Middle Wallop, (Conversion to Type, 8x Gazelle AH.1, 8x Lynx AH.7) *** Trade Training School (Ground Crew & Maintenance Training) **

660 Squadron AAC No. 660 Squadron AAC (660 Sqn) is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). The squadron traces its lineage to a Royal Air Force squadron that existed during the Second World War. In the late 1950s the squadron's numerical was transf ...

RAF Sek Kong The Shek Kong Airfield (ICAO: VHSK), formerly Royal Air Force Station Sek Kong or Sek Kong Airfield, is an airfield (airbase) located in Shek Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. The base currently houses air force units of People's Liberation A ...

, Hong Kong, (12x Scout AH.1), supported

British Forces Hong Kong British Forces Overseas Hong Kong comprised the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines) and Royal Air Force stationed in British Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong also assumed the position of the commander-in-chi ...

, two Scouts detached to

British Forces Brunei British Forces Brunei (BFB) is the name given to the British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territ ...

*** C Flight,

Anduki Airfield Anduki Airfield () is a domestic airfield and heliport located in Seria, a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. It is operated by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), and uses Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in suppor ...

Seria Seria () is a town in Belait District, Brunei, about west from the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The total population was 3,625 in 2016. It was where oil was first struck in Brunei in 1929 and has since become a centre for the countr ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

, (2x Scout AH.1) ** 664 Squadron AAC, St George's Barracks in

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

, West Germany, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1), supported

** Development & Trials Squadron, AAC Middle Wallop, (12x Gazelle AH.1, under Director Army Air Corps. On 1 April 1990 renamed 667 (D&T) Squadron AAC) ** 7 Flight AAC,

RAF Gatow Royal Air Force Gatow, or more commonly RAF Gatow, was a British Royal Air Force station (military airbase) in the district of Gatow in south-western Berlin, west of the Havel river, in the borough of Spandau. It was the home for the only k ...

, Berlin, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported the

Berlin Infantry Brigade The Berlin Infantry Brigade was a British Army brigade-sized garrison based in West Berlin during the Cold War. After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, the Allied forces occupied West Berlin. T ...

8 Flight AAC 658 Squadron AAC is an Army Air Corps unit of the British Army that provides dedicated aviation support to the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS) for domestic counter terrorism (CT) operations. The squadron is co-located with 22 SAS at ...

, Stirling Lines, Hereford, (4x A109A Hirundo), supported the

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...

** 12 Flight AAC,

RAF Wildenrath Royal Air Force Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase near Wildenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that operated from 1952 to 1992. Wildenrath was the first of four 'clutch' stations ...

, Germany, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

** 16 Flight AAC, Kingsfield Airfield in

Dhekelia Dhekelia Cantonment ( el, Φρουρά Δεκέλεια, tr, Dikelya Cantonment) is a military base in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as the Sovereign Base Areas. It is located in the ...

, Cyprus, (4x Gazelle AH.1) supported

British Forces Cyprus British Forces Cyprus (BFC) is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus and at a number of related 'retained sites' in the Republic of Cyprus. The United ...

25 Flight AAC 25 Flight Army Air Corps is a flight within the British Army's Army Air Corps, currently part of the British Army Training Unit Kenya. History The flight was formed in 1987 in Belize where it operated Sioux AH1 helicopters. The flight returne ...

Price Barracks Price Barracks is a military installation located just north of Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport which is located in Ladyville some 8 miles to the north west of Belize City. It is the main base of the Belize Defence Force. History The ...

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 ...

, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

British Army Training and Support Unit Belize British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), the successor of the former British Forces Belize, is the name given to the current British Army Garrison in Belize. The garrison is used primarily for jungle warfare training, with access to o ...

** 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC,

CFB Suffield Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...

, Canada, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported British Army Training Unit Suffield **

UNFICYP Flight AAC The UNFICYP Flight AAC, originally known as the Force Aviation Flight, was a unit of the Army Air Corps (AAC) of the British Army attached to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). It was formed on 1 August 1966. The flight w ...

Nicosia Airport Nicosia International Airport ( gr, Διεθνές Αεροδρόμιο Λευκωσίας, tr, Lefkoşa Uluslararası Havaalanı) is a largely disused airport located west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia in the Lakatamia suburb. It wa ...

, Cyprus, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violen ...

War on Terror

A further boost in the Army Air Corps' capability came in the form of the Westland Apache AH.1 attack helicopter, introduced in 2004. In 2006, British Apaches deployed 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 the

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

. In 2004,

Britten-Norman Defender The Britten-Norman Defender is a multi-role utility transport aircraft, manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. It is the military version of the Britten-Norman Islander, developed for roles such as utility transport, casualty eva ...

fixed wing aircraft were purchased for Afghanistan and Iraq.

End of fixed-wing flying, 2019–2021

In April 2019, 651 Squadron personnel and aircraft, the Islander and Defender, were transferred from 5 Regiment to No. 1 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing Royal Air Force. 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021.

Current structure and deployment

Mascot

The Army Air Corps adopted their first Corps Mascot – Zephyr, a bald eagle – in October 2011.

Training

The training of future Army Air Corps aircrew is delivered by the joint service

UK Military Flying Training System The UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) takes UK armed forces aircrew from initial training through elementary, basic, and advanced flying training phases, preparing them for their arrival at their designated operational aircraft units. ...

. Elementary Flying Training was delivered at

RAF Barkston Heath Royal Air Force Barkston Heath or RAF Barkston Heath is a Royal Air Force station near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. RAF Barkston Heath has the Naval Element of No. 3 Flying Training School RAF (No. 3 FTS) which, for a period between appr ...

with 674 Squadron AAC, up until the Squadron’s standing down in April 2021. Training Units, AAC Middle Wallop * 7 (Training) Regiment AAC ** 671 Squadron – Lynx/Gazelle/Bell 212'j'' (Future uncertain, given retirement of Gazelle and Lynx fleets) ** 673 Squadron – Apache Conversion to type * No. 1 Flying Training School RAF,

RAF Shawbury Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England. History The First World War The station at Shawbury was first used for military ...

, Juno HT.1 ** 660 Squadron ** 670 Squadron – Operational Training

Personnel

Army Air Corps Soldiers on Parade at Middle Wallop MOD 45153461

The strength of the Army Air Corps is about 2,000 Regular personnel, of which 500 are officers. However, the AAC draws an additional 2,600 personnel from the

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the

Adjutant General Corps The Adjutant General's Corps, formerly the Adjutant General's Department, is a Structure of the United States Army#Branches and functional areas, branch of the United States Army first established in 1775. This branch provides personnel service ...

. Therefore, total related Army Air Corps personnel is around 4,600.

Aircraft

Since 2019, the AAC solely operates rotary-wing aircraft in the operational environment. The AAC uses the same designation system for aircraft as the

and the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

. The sole fixed-wing trainer is the

, used for Army Flying Grading. Today AAC aviators fly five types of helicopter, and within each type there are usually several marks/variants which carry out different roles. Pilots train with

No. 1 Flying Training School The No. 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS) is the oldest military pilot training school in the world, currently used to deliver rotary training to aircrew of the British armed forces. History First formation (1919 – 1928) On 23 December 1919 ...

. The School is a tri-Service organisation consisting of civilian and military instructors that take the student from basic flying through to more advanced flying such as instrument flying, navigation, formation flying and captaincy. In service aircraft include: the Bell 212HP AH1, the Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II, the Airbus Helicopters H135 Juno, the Westland Gazelle AH1, the Westland Wildcat AH.1 and the

AgustaWestland Apache The AgustaWestland Apache is a licence-built version of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter for the British Army Air Corps. The first eight helicopters were built by Boeing; the remaining 59 were assembled by Westland Helic ...

AH1 which is being replaced by the Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache. File:Apache WAH64D Helicopter MOD 45149194.jpg, AgustaWestland Apache AH.1 File:AH-64E Apache-Guardian-0006.jpg, Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache File:Gazelle - RIAT 2014 (14740412124).jpg,

Westland Gazelle AH.1 Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

File:AW159 AH1 FARP.jpeg, AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 File:ZJ780 (8489535587).jpg, Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin File:Army Air Corps Bell 212 Helicopter from 671 Squadron MOD (cropped).jpg, Bell 212

Command and units

Below is the current structure of the Army Air Corps as of 27 October 2021: *

1st Aviation Brigade The 1st Aviation Brigade commands three distinctly different battalions—the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment; the 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment; and the 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, the former Unmanned Aircraft System ...

** 1 Regiment AAC,

RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...

(

AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat The AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat (previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat) is a British military helicopter. It is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx designed to serve in the battlefield utility, search and rescue and a ...

) *** No. 651 Squadron *** No. 659 Squadron *** No. 661 Squadron *** No. 652 Squadron (OCU) ** 5 Regiment AAC, Aldergrove (

Aérospatiale Gazelle The Aérospatiale Gazelle (company designations SA 340, SA 341 and SA 342) is a French five-seat helicopter, commonly used for light transport, scouting and light attack duties. It is powered by a single Turbomeca Astazou turbine engine and wa ...

) *** No. 665 Squadron *** No. 667 Squadron ( Bell 212) or administration in Brunei (under

) *** No. 29 (BATUS) Flight or administration at

** 3 Regiment AAC (

and Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache) *** No. 662 Squadron *** No. 663 Squadron ** 4 Regiment AAC (AgustaWestland Apache) *** No. 656 Squadron *** No. 664 Squadron ** No. 653 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit for Apache) ** 6 Regiment AAC ***RHQ/HQ Squadron, Bury St. Edmunds *** No. 675 (The Rifles) Squadron, Taunton/Yeovil *** No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron, Bury St. Edmunds *** No. 678 (The Rifles) Squadron, Milton Keynes/Luton *** No. 679 (The Duke of Connaught's) Squadron, Portsmouth/Middle Wallop *** Aviation Specialist Group, Middle Wallop Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing * No. 658 Squadron ( Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin), at Stirling Lines,

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

Independent units

* No. 660 Squadron (previously part of the Defence Helicopter Flying School, now part of No. 1 Flying Training School RAF) * Army Flying Grading (previously the Initial Fixed Wing Flight)

Battle honours

The Army Air Corps is classed, in UK military parlance, as a "Combat Arm". It, therefore, carries its own guidon and is awarded battle honours. The honours awarded to the AAC are: *

Normandy Landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

1944 * Merville Battery 1944 * Rhine 1945 * North West Europe 1944 – 45 *

Sicily 1943 (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Pegasus Bridge Pegasus Bridge, originally called the Bénouville Bridge after the neighbouring village, is a road crossing over the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham in Normandy. The original bridge, built in 1934, is now a war memorial and is the cent ...

Arnhem 1944 Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks o ...

Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

1982 * Wadi al-Batin 1991 *

Gulf 1991 A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

* Al-Basrah * Iraq 2003

Alliances

* – No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron * –

Australian Army Aviation Australian Army Aviation (AAAvn) is a corps of the Australian Army. It was formed on 1 July 1968, although it has a history dating back to 1911, when the Minister of Defence at the time, Senator George Pearce, decided there should be a flying s ...

Order of precedence

References

Bibliography

* Farrar-Hockley, General Sir Anthony. ''The Army in the Air: The History of the Army Air Corps''. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd., 1994. . * * Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. . * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). . * Mead, Peter. ''Soldiers in the Air: The Development of Army Flying''. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1967. * Parham Major General H.J. & Belfield E.M.G. ''Unarmed into Battle: The Story of the Air Observation Post''. Warren & son, for the Air O.P. Officers' Association, Winchester, 1956. (Second edition: Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK: Picton Publishing Ltd., 1986. ) * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. .

External links

*
School of Army Aviation

Army Air Corps Historic Aircraft Flight official webpage

The Blue Eagles – Army Air Corps Helicopter Display Team official webpage

The Silver Eagles – Army Air Corps Freefall Parachute Display Team official webpage

Army Air Corps group pool of images on Flickr

Army Air Corps in Germany private webpage
{{Authority control Military units and formations established in 1942 1942 establishments in the United Kingdom Army aviation Army aviation units and formations