1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team | |
---|---|
Active | 1 April 2020–present [1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Army aviation |
Role | Attack Reconnaissance |
Part of | Joint Aviation Command |
Garrison/HQ | Middle Wallop Flying Station |
Motto(s) | Fly, Fight, Lead [2] |
Aircraft flown | |
Attack helicopter | Boeing AH-64E Apache |
Observation helicopter | Wildcat AH1 |
The 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team is an aviation formation of the British Army. [3] Most of its units are from the Army Air Corps (AAC). It was stood up on 1 April 2020 by combining the Wattisham Flying Station Headquarters (WFS HQ), formerly the Attack Helicopter Force (AHF) at Wattisham and the Aviation Reconnaissance Force at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. [3] [4] [5] It reached initial operating capability on 1 April 2021 and full operating capability on 1 January 2023. [6]
The units of the brigade are as follows: [7]
Most countries with military aviation forces have a system for naming of military airbases. "Air Force Base" ("AFB") is part of the name of military airbases of the United States Air Force (USAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF), with the USAF using it at the end of the name of the base, and the SAAF using it at the start. The Royal Australian Air Force uses a slightly different format referring to bases as "RAAF Base". The Canadian Forces also uses a different format referring to any base as "CFB" or "BFC" in French.
The Army Air Corps (AAC) is the aviation arm of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments of the AAC, as well as two 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, Kenya, and Canada. Some AAC squadrons provide the air assault elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, through Joint Aviation Command.
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, commonly referred to as RNAS Yeovilton, is an airbase of the Royal Navy, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases, the other being RNAS Culdrose. RNAS Yeovilton is currently home to the Royal Navy Wildcat HMA2, along with Army Air Corps Wildcat AH1 helicopters, as well as the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force Merlin HCi3/4/4A and Wildcat AH1 helicopters.
16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999 – 2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readiness, and is the only brigade in the British Army focused on operating via parachute, helicopter and air-landing.
Middle Wallop Flying Station is a British Army airfield located near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop. It is the Headquarters for the Army Air Corps, and the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team, and is also used for Army Air Corps training. The base hosts 2 (Training) Regiment AAC and 7 (Training) Regiment AAC under the umbrella of the Army Aviation Centre. 2 Regiment performs ground training; 7 Regiment trains aircrew on AAC aircraft after they complete basic training at RAF Shawbury.
The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It was first organized as the 12th Aviation Group at Fort Moore, Georgia, on 18 June 1965.
No. 673 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 674 Squadron RAF, a glider squadron of the Royal Air Force, active during the Second World War within British India.
Wattisham Flying Station, formerly Wattisham Airfield, is a British Army airfield and barracks located near the village of Wattisham in Suffolk, England. It is home to the Army Air Corps' Apache attack helicopter force. A helicopter repair facility provided by 7 Aviation Support Battalion, REME and 132 Aviation Supply Squadron, RLC is also based at the airfield.
Dishforth Airfield is a former Royal Air Force and current British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It was previously an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. 6 Regiment RLC is currently located at Dishforth. It is located next to the A1(M) at Junction 49 with the A168. Dishforth airfield is built over part of the Great North Road which is also the old A1. It is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) east of Ripon, North Yorkshire and 11.5 miles (18.5 km) north east of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.
The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade is a Combat Aviation Brigade of the United States Army. It is subordinate to 7th Infantry Division and I Corps and based at Gray Army Airfield part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
6 Regiment Army Air Corps is the sole Army Reserve regiment of the British Army Air Corps (AAC). The regiment consists of four Squadrons based around the south of the UK. 6 Regiment provides soldiers trained to assist Joint Aviation Command on exercise and operations both in the UK and worldwide. The regiment provides support to support and attack helicopter in roles including Aviation Groundcrew Specialists, Aviation Communication Operators and Aviation Support Officers.
No. 662 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) which flies the Boeing AH-64E Apache from Wattisham Flying Station as part of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 662 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the 21st Army Group during the Second World War and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
Army 2020 was the name given to the restructuring of the British Army in the early and mid-2010s, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. The plan, as its name suggested, was intended to be completed by 2020, though most of its reorganisations were completed by the middle of the decade. It was succeeded by Army 2020 Refine, a series of new changes and refinements of Army 2020's restructuring, conducted in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.
3 RegimentArmy Air Corps is a regiment of the British Army and is under the command of the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team within Joint Aviation Command (JAC). The regiment operates the Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, and is based out of Wattisham Flying Station.
The 1st Artillery Brigade was a support formation of the British Army from 1961-77 and from 1997. Part of the 3rd Division, it oversaw all army close support artillery and deep fires units. Under the Future Soldier programme, the brigade merged with 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade to form 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team.
1st Close Support Battalion, REME is a Combat service support unit of the British Army's Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
664 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps. It was formerly No. 664 Squadron, a Royal Air Force air observation post squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army during the Second World War and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units working closely with British Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these squadrons, 664–666, were manned with Canadian personnel. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
The page contains the current structure of the British Army. The British Army is currently being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure.
Future Soldier is a reform of the British Army resulting from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021. The aim of the reform is to create a more lethal, agile and expeditionary force, able to fight and win wars and to operate in the grey-zone between peace and war. Future Soldier was published on 25 November 2021 and deals with the organizational changes of the British Army, with changes to personnel and equipment were set out in the Defence in a Competitive Age paper published on 22 March 2021.