Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) | |
---|---|
Active | 2 April 2001 – present [1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force British Army |
Role | Special operations aviation support |
Size | Two squadrons |
Part of | United Kingdom Special Forces |
Stations | Headquarters – RAF Odiham No. 7 Sqn RAF – RAF Odiham No. 658 Sqn AAC – Stirling Lines |
Motto(s) | Resolute |
Aircraft | Boeing Chinook HC6 Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Group Captain Nicholas Knight (RAF Odiham station commander) |
The Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) is a Royal Air Force (RAF) and British Army joint service organisation that coordinates the provision of aviation support to the United Kingdom Special Forces. [1] [2]
The wing is under the peacetime command of the Station Commander of RAF Odiham. However the Army and RAF retain full command of their respective personnel. [1]
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. [1] [2] [3]
In 2006, No. 651 Squadron AAC was reformed at RAF Odiham to operate the fixed-wing Britten-Norman Defender 4000, and incorporated into the wing. [2] [4] [5] In July 2008, the squadron relocated to RAF Aldergrove, as part of 5 Regiment AAC. [5] [6]
In 2008, No. 8 Flight AAC, which operated a covert fleet of military registered Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II helicopters in civilian livery was incorporated into the wing. [1] [7] In September 2013, the flight was re-designated as No. 658 Squadron. [8] [9]
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. [10] [11] [12] It was reported that an Army Air Corps Special Forces Flight of between two and four AgustaWestland Wildcat helicopters, named the Special Forces Wildcat Flight, would be established. [11]
The wing has a charitable affiliation with the Worshipful Company of Curriers in the City of London. [13]
The composition of the wing and its aircraft is as follows: [Note 1]
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, through Joint Helicopter Command.
Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply 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 Boeing Chinook, and of the King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF). Its current station commander is Group Captain Matt Roberts.
Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove, also known as simply JHC FS Aldergrove, is a British military base located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Belfast, and adjoins Belfast International Airport. It is sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of a nearby hamlet.
The Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of the British Armed Forces for command and coordination purposes.
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 evacuation, counter-insurgency and light attack, forward air control, patrol and reconnaissance. The term 'Britten-Norman Defender' relates to all militarised variants of the BN-2 product line including the BN-2 Piston Defender, BN-2T Turbine Defender, the BN-2T-4R Defender and the stretched variant BN-2T-4S, designated Defender 4000.
Army Aviation Centre (AAC) Middle Wallop is a British Army airfield located near the Hampshire village of Middle Wallop, 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 (Training) Regiment performs ground training; 7 (Training) Regiment trains aircrew on AAC aircraft after they complete basic training at RAF Shawbury.
No. 651 Squadron Army Air Corps, is an aircraft squadron of the British Army, originally formed as No. 651 Squadron Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War, and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were air observation post units which had both Army and RAF personnel. The pilots, drivers and signallers were in the Royal Artillery whilst the adjutants, technical staff and equipment officers came from the RAF. Air observation posts were used primarily for artillery spotting, but occasionally for liaison and other duties. Their duties and squadron numbers were transferred to the Army with the formation of the Army Air Corps on 1 September 1957.
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.
Royal Air Force Ballykelly, or more simply RAF Ballykelly, is a former Royal Air Force station which opened in 1941 in Ballykelly, County Londonderry. It closed in 1971 when the site was handed over to the British Army as Shackleton Barracks. A small part of the base has been used as a refuelling point by army helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft usually operating out of Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove near the town of Antrim.
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5 Regiment Army Air Corps is a regiment of the British Army and is part of the Joint Helicopter Command (JHC). The regiment is based in Northern Ireland at JHC Flying Station Aldergrove.
No. 669 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC) which was disbanded as a flying Squadron on 31 July 2016 and reformed as HQ Sqn 3AAC in 2021. It was formerly No. 669 Squadron RAF, a glider squadron of the Royal Air Force active during the Second World War as part of No. 229 Group RAF, South East Asia Command
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