German Army Aviation Corps

Last updated
Army Aviation Corps
Heeresflieger
HflgWaS.jpg
Coat of Arms of Aviation School
Active1957–present
CountryGermany
Branch German Army
Type Army aviation
RoleTactical Air Transport, Close Air Support, Reconnaissance, Liaison, Disaster Relief
Size6 regiments, 1 independent squadrons, 1 school
Motto(s)Without fear – forward!
Ohne Furcht – Nach vorn!
Commanders
Current
commander
Brigadier General Ulrich Ott
Notable
commanders
Colonel Horst Pape
Insignia
Roundel Roundel of Germany - Type 1 - Border.svg
Fin flash Flag of Germany.svg
Cap badge BW Barettabzeichen Heeresflieger.png
Collar patch HD W Kragenspiegel HFlg.svg
APP-6A symbol TZ HF.svg
Aircraft flown
Attack Tiger
Trainer H135
Transport NH90, Bell UH-1D

The German Army Aviation Corps [1] (German : Heeresfliegertruppe) is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (Heer), containing all its helicopter units. The German Air Force and the German Navy both also have their own helicopter units.

Contents

Identification

The coat of arms of the German Army Aviation Corps depicts a white eagle, swooping down whilst carrying a sword in its claws. Members of the Army Aviation Corps wear a burgundy-coloured beret. The badge on the beret is a wing, crossed vertically by a sword, surrounded by oak leaves. The Waffenfarbe of the German Army Aviation Corps ( a means the German military uses to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services) is silver-grey. The epaulettes of members of the German Army Aviation corps are lined in silver-grey. The gorget patches are held in the same color with two vertical cords. The sleeves of the uniforms display the flying wings, emphasising their main task.

Tasks

The main tasks of the Army Aviation Corps are:

Due to their manifold tasks, the German Army Aviation Corps cannot be classified as having any of the classic tasks of army units, namely leading and supporting the leadership, fighting and supporting the fighting force. [2]

Most units of the Army Aviation Corps are incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division (Division Luftbewegliche Operationen). This division was founded on 1 July 2002 and became operational on 8 October 2002.

CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps during an exercise in Bosnia German CH-53 Helicopter assigned to the Stabilization Force and Portuguese Army Soldiers.jpg
CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps during an exercise in Bosnia
Kurdish refugee children run toward a CH-53G helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps in Northern Iraq in 1991 DN-ST-92-02168.jpg
Kurdish refugee children run toward a CH-53G helicopter of the German Army Aviation Corps in Northern Iraq in 1991

History

After the foundation of the Bundeswehr in 1955, the first head of the department of the German Army Aviation Corps, Colonel Horst Pape, was appointed on 7 November 1956. During the next ten years, a great number of bases all over the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany were founded.

In the first instance, all the equipment was acquired from allied nations. However, from the late 1960s onwards, more emphasis was put on developing new technology with other European partners. Until 1990, the German Army Aviation Corps was restricted to see active service only during aid mission within Germany and NATO countries.

Since the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany with the German Democratic Republic in 1990, there have been several rounds of re-organizations within the Bundeswehr, also affecting the German Army Aviation Corps. A number of bases were closed down, and their units either dissolved or merged with other units. In 2002, most remaining units of the German Army Aviation Corps were incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division (Division Luftbewegliche Operationen) .

Furthermore, the role of the German Army Aviation Corps changed as well. Since the mid-1990s, it has been increasingly deployed in a support rôle in several countries for as varying bodies as the United Nations, NATO and the EU, first in Iraq after the 1st Gulf War, then on the Balkans with IFOR, KFOR, SFOR and EUFOR, and most recently in Afghanistan as part of ISAF and most recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of EUFOR RD Congo to support the UN mission MONUC to monitor the general elections in 2006. This mission began in June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.

In October 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, the strength of Germany Army Aviation Corps will be reduced. Flying operations at a number of air bases will cease to exist and the respective units being dissolved. Other units will be transferred to the German Air Force. [3]

Equipment

Eurocopter Tiger Tiger Helicopter ILA 2010 stitched 1.jpg
Eurocopter Tiger
NH90 NH-90TTH on the Ground.jpg
NH90

The German Army Aviation Corps is equipped with:

Units

The following units were subordinate to Airmobile Operations Division, the division's headquarters being in Veitshöchheim:

Name of unitFlyingBased atInsigniaNote
Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 Münsterland Sikorsky CH-53G/GS Rheine
THRgt 15.jpg
Disbanded
Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 Oberschwaben Sikorsky CH-53G/GS Laupheim
MTHRgt 25.svg
Transferred to German Air Force
Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 Tauberfranken NH90 Niederstetten
THRgt 30.jpg

The following units were part of Airmobile Brigade 1 of Airmobile Operations Division. The division's headquarters was in Fritzlar:

Name of unitFlyingBased atInsigniaNote
Light Transport Helicopter Regiment 10 Lüneburger Heide NH90 Faßberg
THRgt 10.jpg
Attack Helicopter Regiment 26 Franken MBB Bo 105P Roth
KHRgt 26.jpg
Disbanded 30 June 2014 [4]
Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 Kurhessen Eurocopter Tiger Fritzlar
KHRgt 36.jpg

The following unit was not part of the Airmobile Operations Division but part of Air Transport Wing 62:

Name of unitFlyingBased atInsigniaNote
Army Aviation Support Squadron 1 Bell UH-1D Holzdorf
HFlgUstgStff 1.gif
Disbanded 31 December 2013 [5]

The following units operated independently:

Name of unitFlyingBased atInsigniaNote
Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 Celle
Verbandsabzeichen Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 100.gif
Disbanded
Army Aviation Squadron 109Celle
HFlgAusbStff 8I.jpg
Disbanded
Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 109 MBB Bo 105M Celle
HFlgVerbAufklStff 100.gif
Disbanded

The following units are or were part of the Army Aviation School. The school's headquarters is in Bückeburg:

Name of unitBased atInsigniaNote
Instruction Group A (flying instruction) Bückeburg
COA HFlgWaS.svg
Instruction Group B (non-flying instruction)Bückeburg
HflgWaS.jpg
Training Centre C (flying instruction)Celle
HFlgAusbZ C.jpg
To be disbanded
Army Aviation Test Squadron 910Bückeburg
HFlgVersStff 910.gif
Disbanded on 31 December 2008
Research And Development GroupBückeburg
HflgWaS.jpg
Technical Maintenance DepartmentBückeburg
HflgWaS.jpg
Franco-German Training Centre Le Luc (France)
HflgWaS.jpg

See also

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References

  1. Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch – Teil II/III, p. 185
  2. Heeresfliegertruppe – Welchen Auftrag hat die Heeresfliegertruppe? (in German), German Federal Ministry of Defence, 7 August 2012, archived from the original on 5 December 2012, retrieved 19 January 2013
  3. Quoted from Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (26 October 2011), Neues Stationierungskonzept der Bundeswehr (in German), archived from the original on 8 November 2011, retrieved 5 November 2011, PDF-file "Die Stationierung der Bundeswehr in Deutschland", passim
  4. "Rother Heeresflieger sagen "Servus"", nordbayern.de, 23 July 2013, archived from the original on 5 September 2014, retrieved 18 February 2015
  5. Glückel, Sven (3 April 2013), "Staffel-Abwicklung ist wie ein Ende auf Raten", Lausitzer Rundschau, archived from the original on 18 February 2015, retrieved 18 February 2015

Further reading