This is a list of Australian Army aviation units. [Note 1] The Australian Army Aviation Corps was formed in 1968, initially with the assistance of the RAAF. These units have been utilised in a variety of roles including surveillance, reconnaissance and utility / transport, and have operated a variety of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. [1] More recently Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been introduced into service and are operated by the Royal Australian Artillery. [2]
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal air and space force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally, the Governor-General of Australia, is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister of Defence, with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force.
The Army Air Corps (AAC) is a component 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 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 through Joint Helicopter Command.
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter squadron, headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 1916, it was one of four combat squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps during World War I, and operated on the Western Front in France before being disbanded in 1919. It was re-raised as a permanent squadron of the RAAF in 1925, and during World War II operated in the Mediterranean Theatre. The Cold War years saw the squadron disbanded and re-raised twice. It was based at RAAF Butterworth during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesia–Malaysia Konfrontasi. Equipped with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters from 1986, the squadron deployed to Diego Garcia in 2002 to provide local air defence, and the following year contributed aircraft and crews to the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. In April 2016, it deployed to the Middle East as part of the military intervention against ISIL.
No. 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) training and bomber squadron. It was formed in 1917 and served as a training unit based in England during World War I. The squadron was disbanded in 1919 but re-formed at the start of 1939. It subsequently saw combat as a light bomber and maritime patrol squadron during World War II, and took part in the New Guinea Campaign and New Britain Campaign before being disbanded after the war.
The 5th Aviation Regiment is an Australian Army aviation unit. Formed in 1987 after the Army took over responsibility for operating helicopters from the Royal Australian Air Force, the regiment is based at RAAF Base Townsville, in Queensland. It currently forms part of the 16th (Aviation) Brigade and it operates the majority of the Army's transport helicopters. Throughout its existence, the regiment has been deployed overseas numerous times, supporting both peacekeeping and warlike operations. Since its formation elements of the regiment have made operational deployments to Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Iraq, Indonesia and Pakistan.
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron composed of the air force special forces Combat Controllers, aircrew who operate the Pilatus PC-21 aircraft and instructors for the Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course.
No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) unit that saw action in World War II supporting Australian Army operations. It was formed in October 1944 and disbanded in June 1947. The flight was reestablished in September 1958, and was disbanded again in December 1960, when its responsibilities were transferred to a joint Army-RAAF unit.
No. 38 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transport and training unit active between 1943 and 2018. It was formed on 15 September 1943 and saw service during World War II transporting supplies and personnel between Australia and the combat zones in New Guinea and Borneo, using Douglas Dakota aircraft. Following the war, the squadron conducted regular courier flights between Australia and Japan in 1947 and 1948. No. 38 Squadron was deployed to Singapore from 1950 to 1952, supplying Commonwealth forces engaged in the Malayan Emergency and undertaking courier flights across Asia. In 1954 it became responsible for training RAAF personnel to operate Dakotas.
Oakey Army Aviation Centre is situated approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) from the town centre of Oakey in Queensland, Australia. It provides a training establishment for Australian Army Aviation, and also hosts the Republic of Singapore Air Force's "Cougar" 126 Squadron. The Defence name for the facility is Swartz Barracks, named for prominent politician, Army Aviation advocate, and ex-POW Sir Reginald Swartz.
No. 9 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The squadron was formed in early 1939 and saw active service in World War II as a fleet co-operation unit providing aircrews for seaplanes operating off Royal Australian Navy cruisers. It was disbanded in late 1944, but was re-raised in 1962 and later became an Army co-operation unit, flying helicopters in support of Australian troops during the Vietnam War. The squadron was disbanded in 1989 when the RAAF transferred its battlefield helicopters to the Australian Army's aviation regiments.
No. 5 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force training, army co-operation and helicopter squadron. The squadron was formed in 1917 as a training unit of the Australian Flying Corps in Britain, readying pilots for service on the Western Front. It subsequently became a naval fleet co-operation squadron, but was later redesignated as No. 9 Squadron RAAF before being re-formed as an army co-operation squadron during World War II. In the mid-1960s, it was re-formed as a helicopter squadron, before being disbanded in December 1989, when it was used to form the Australian Defence Force Helicopter Training School.
No. 12 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) general purpose, bomber and transport squadron. The squadron was formed in 1939 and saw combat in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. From 1941 to 1943, it mainly conducted maritime patrols off northern Australia. The squadron was based at Merauke in western New Guinea from November 1943 to July 1944, when it was withdrawn from operations. After being re-equipped, it operated as a heavy bomber unit from February 1945 until the end of the war. The squadron continued in this role until it was redesignated No. 1 Squadron RAAF in February 1948. The squadron was reformed in 1973 to operate transport helicopters but was again disbanded in 1989.
Tactical Transport Group was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) group. It was established on 1 June 1988 as part of a broad-ranging reform of the RAAF's organisation.
The 171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron is an Australian Army helicopter squadron equipped with NHIndustries MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and provides support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is based at Luscombe Airfield, Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney and forms part of the 6th Aviation Regiment as the regiment's sole operational squadron. In December 2021, the squadron completed its transition from the retiring Sikorsky S70A Black Hawk helicopter to the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.
No. 35 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transport unit. Formed in 1942, No. 35 Squadron operated during World War II, transporting cargo and passengers around Australia, New Guinea and the Netherlands East Indies, equipped with a variety of aircraft including the Douglas Dakota. It was disbanded after the war, but was re-raised in the 1960s for service during the Vietnam War, flying transportation and resupply operations with DHC-4 Caribous in support of Australian and US forces. The squadron was subsequently augmented with rotary-wing aircraft, operating UH-1 Iroquois in both the transportation and gunship roles. In the late 1980s, the squadron returned to a solely fixed-wing transport role. It ceased operations in 2000, but was re-raised in January 2013. It began re-equipping with C-27 Spartan transports in 2015.
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 school in the Defence Department. The motto of the Australian Army Aviation corps is Vigilance.
The 173rd Aviation Squadron is an Australian Army helicopter training squadron equipped with MRH 90 Taipan helicopters and provides support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is based at Luscombe Airfield, Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney and forms part of the 6th Aviation Regiment. 173rd Aviation Squadron may not be the squadron's current designation as a result of a re-designation.
The 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight was an Australian Army aviation unit of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. In June 1965, the 161 Reconnaissance Flight was raised part of the No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron based at RAAF Base Amberley for deployment to the Vietnam War. In September that year the flight deployed to South Vietnam with two Cessna 180 planes and two Sioux light observation helicopters in order to support the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment based at Bien Hoa airbase The unit deployed to Vung Tau on 13 May 1966. The Flight was re-designated the 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight. when unit strength was increased, so making it an Independent unit. Following the expansion of the Australian commitment, the Flight continued to serve in this role as part of the 1st Australian Task Force, with an enlarged, established and expanded responsibilities, operating out of Vung Tau and Nui Dat until the end of 1971 when it was withdrawn to Australia. In March 1967, the 16th Army Light Aircraft Squadron was renamed the 1st Aviation Regiment.
The order of battle of Australian forces during the Vietnam War consisted of a small group of military advisors from 1962, but grew to include an infantry battalion based in Bien Hoa in 1965. This force was then replaced by a two- and later three-battalion task force with supporting arms based at Nui Dat which operated primarily in Phuoc Tuy Province between 1966–71, with logistic elements at Vung Tau. Airforce units committed initially consisted of transport aircraft, but were followed by helicopters and later bombers, while naval forces included destroyers and transport vessels. With the size of Australian forces in Vietnam reaching a peak in early 1968, a drawdown commenced in late 1970, with the bulk withdrawn by early 1972. The last elements returned to Australia in 1973. In total, around 50,000 Australians served during the Vietnam War, including 42,437 members of the Australian Army, 3,310 from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and 4,443 from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), with casualties including 519 killed and 2,348 wounded.
No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron was formed on 1 December 1960 as a joint Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force unit at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. Tasked with the provision of light aircraft support to Army formations, the squadron was equipped with Cessna 180 light aircraft and Bell Sioux helicopters. A detachment of two float-equipped helicopters from the squadron was deployed to West New Guinea in November 1962 in support of the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA), following an outbreak of cholera there. Although one helicopter was lost in an accident, the detachment’s tasks were successfully completed and it returned to Australia in late December. In April 1966 the squadron was expanded to become the Army's 1st Aviation Regiment.
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