The Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) is a

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) an ...

(RAF) and

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 Gurkha ...

joint service organisation that coordinates the provision of aviation support to the

United Kingdom Special Forces The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forc ...

. The wing is under the peacetime command of the Station Commander of

RAF Odiham RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook, and of the King’s Helicopter Flight (TKHF) . ...

. However the Army and RAF retain full command of their respective personnel.

History

The wing was established on 2 April 2001 to unite No. 657 Squadron of the Army Air Corps (AAC), which operated the Westland Lynx AH9 helicopter, and the Royal Air Force's No. 7 Squadron, which operated the Boeing Chinook HC2 helicopter, under the one command. In 2006, No. 651 Squadron AAC was reformed at

to operate the fixed-wing Britten-Norman Defender 4000, and incorporated into the wing. In July 2008, the squadron relocated to

RAF Aldergrove Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove or more simply JHC FS Aldergrove is located south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and northwest of Belfast and adjoins Belfast International Airport. It is sometimes referred to simply as Alde ...

, as part of 5 Regiment AAC. In 2008, No. 8 Flight AAC, which operated a covert fleet of military registered Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II helicopters in civilian

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

was incorporated into the wing. In September 2013, the flight was re-designated as No. 658 Squadron. In May 2018, No. 657 Squadron AAC was disbanded following the retirement of the Lynx on 31 January 2018, with budget cuts precluding the purchase of replacement helicopters for the squadron's fleet. It was reported that an Army Air Corps Special Forces Flight of between two and four

AgustaWestland 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 ...

helicopters, named the Special Forces Wildcat Flight, would be established. The wing has a charitable affiliation with the Worshipful Company of Curriers in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

Structure

The composition of the wing and its aircraft is as follows: * Headquarters Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

) ** No. 7 Squadron RAF (RAF Odiham, Hampshire) *** Boeing Chinook HC6 **

No. 658 Squadron 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 a ...

(

Stirling Lines Stirling Lines is a British Army garrison in Credenhill, Herefordshire; the headquarters of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS). The site was formerly a Royal Air Force (RAF) non-flying station for training schools, known as RAF Crede ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouths ...

) *** Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II Note the Special Forces Air Component as a whole is composed of the JSFAW and parts of

No. 47 Squadron RAF No. 47 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed C-130 Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, England. History First formation No. 47 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 19 ...

Notes

References

{{United Kingdom Special Forces Army Air Corps (United Kingdom) 2001 establishments in the United Kingdom Joint military units and formations of the United Kingdom Military units and formations established in 2001 Organisations based in Hampshire Special forces of the United Kingdom

History

Structure

See also

Notes

References