The Army Air Corps (AAC) is a component of the

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 Gurk ...

, first formed in 1942 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments (seven Regular Army and one

Reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

) 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 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the Britis ...

through Joint Helicopter Command.

History

First formation: 1942–1949

The British Army first took to the sky during the 19th century with the use of observation balloons. In 1911 the

Air Battalion The Air Battalion Royal Engineers (ABRE) was the first flying unit of the British Armed Forces to make use of heavier-than-air craft. Founded in 1911, the battalion in 1912 became part of the Royal Flying Corps, which in turn evolved into the R ...

of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

was the first heavier-than-air British military aviation unit. The following year, the battalion was expanded into the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps which saw action throughout most of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

until 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

to form the

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) and ...

. Between the wars, the army used RAF co-operation squadrons. At the beginning of the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

officers, with the assistance of RAF technicians, flew Auster observation aircraft under RAF-owned Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadrons. Twelve squadrons were raised, three of which belonged to the RCAF and each performed vital duties in many theatres. In 1942,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

announced the establishment of a new branch of army aviation, the Army Air Corps. The corps initially comprised the

Glider Pilot Regiment The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War, which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European theatre in support of Allied airborne operations. Establish ...

and the Parachute Battalions (subsequently the Parachute Regiment), Air Landing Regiments, and the Air Observation Post Squadrons. In March 1944, the SAS Regiment was added to the corps. One of their most successful exploits during the war was the

capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges The capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges (wrongly known as Operation Deadstick (which in fact was a specialized glider exercise), and in official documents as Operation Coup de Main) was an operation by airborne forces of the Britis ...

by , which occurred on 6 June 1944, prior to the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

. Once the three gliders landed, some roughly which incurred casualties, the pilots joined the glider-borne troops ( Ox & Bucks Light Infantry) to act as infantry. The bridge was taken within ten minutes of the battle commencing and the men withstood numerous attempts by the Germans to re-capture the location. They were soon reinforced and relieved by soldiers from the

1 Special Service Brigade The 1st Special Service Brigade was a commando brigade of the British Army. Formed during the Second World War, it consisted of elements of the British Army (including British Commandos) and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw a ...

(

Lord Lovat Lord Lovat ( gd, Mac Shimidh) is a title of the rank Lord of Parliament in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser, 1st Lord Lovat, Hugh Fraser by summoning him to the Scottish Parliament as Lord Fraser of Lovat, altho ...

). The AAC was disbanded in 1949, with the SAS regaining independent status, while the Parachute Regiment and Glider Pilot Regiment came under the umbrella of the Glider Pilot and Parachute Corps.

Second formation: 1957–present

Army Air Corps Lynx linking up with RAF regiment vehicle patrol

Apache attack helicopters over Suffolk during Exercise Talon Gravis

In 1957 the Glider Pilot and Parachute Corps was split, with the Parachute Regiment becoming an independent formation, while the

was merged with the Air Observation Squadrons of the Royal Artillery into a new unit, the Army Air Corps. In 1958 the Saunders-Roe Skeeter 7 was introduced as the AAC's first helicopter, it was replaced by the Aérospatiale Alouette II and Westland Scout AH.1 during the early 1960s. The

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used ...

AL.1 was introduced during the 1960s along with the Agusta/Westland Sioux AH.1 in 1964. From 1970, nearly every army

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

had at least one Aviation Squadron that usually numbered twelve aircraft. The main rotor aircraft during the 1970s were the Westland Scout and Bell Sioux general purpose helicopters. The Sioux was replaced from 1973 by the Westland Gazelle used for Airborne reconnaissance; initially unarmed, they were converted to carry 68mm

SNEB The SNEB rocket (french: Societe Nouvelle des Etablissements Edgar Brandt) is an unguided air-to-ground rocket projectile manufactured by the French company ''TDA Armements'', designed for launch by combat aircraft and helicopters. It is also kn ...

rocket pods in 1982, during the Falklands War. The Scout was replaced from 1978 by the

Westland Lynx The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...

, which was capable of carrying additional firepower in the form of door gunners. Basic rotary flying training was carried out on the Sioux in the 1970s, on the Gazelle in the 1980s and 1990s, and is currently conducted on the

Eurocopter H145 The Eurocopter EC145 (now Airbus Helicopters H145) is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Originally designated as the ''BK 117'', the H145 is based upon the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 C1, which ...

through the

Defence Helicopter Flying School The Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) was a military flying school based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, England. The school, established in 1997, was a tri-service organisation and trained helicopter aircrews for all three British armed f ...

. Fixed-wing types in AAC service have included the

Auster AOP.6 The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service. History The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...

and AOP.9 and DHC-2 Beaver AL.1 in observation and liaison roles. In 1989, the AAC commenced operating a number of

Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial air ...

aircraft for surveillance and light transport duties. The corps operated the DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 in a training role until its replacement by the Slingsby T67 Firefly in the 1990s. The Firefly was replaced by the Grob Tutor in 2010.

Cold War

During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

the majority of Army Air Corps units were based in Germany and part of the British Army of the Rhine. At the beginning of 1989 the Army Air Corps structure was as follows: * Army Air Corps,

AAC Middle Wallop 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 umb ...

** 1 Wing AAC, Hobart Barracks in Detmold, West Germany, under operational control of Commander Aviation

1st British Corps I Corps ("First Corps") was an army corps in existence as an active formation in the British Army for most of the 80 years from its creation in the First World War until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-lived ...

(Wing disbanded during 1989) *** 1 Regiment AAC, Tofrek Barracks in Hildesheim, supported 1st Armoured Division **** 651 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 652 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 661 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) *** 3 Regiment AAC, Salamanca Barracks in Soest, supported 3rd Armoured Division **** 653 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 662 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) **** 663 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) *** 4 Regiment AAC, Hobart Barracks in Detmold, supported 4th Armoured Division **** 654 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 659 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7 (TOW)) **** 669 Squadron AAC, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1) ** 2 Wing AAC,

AAC Netheravon Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain. The village is on the right (west) bank of the Avon, opposite Fittle ...

(Wing disbanded during 1989) ***

Northern Ireland Regiment AAC 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. History 5 Regiment traces its origin to the Northern Ir ...

AAC Aldergrove AAC may refer to: Aviation * Advanced Aircraft, a company from Carlsbad, California * Alaskan Air Command, a radar network * American Aeronautical Corporation, a company from Port Washington, New York * American Aviation, a company from Clevela ...

(Later renamed 5 Regiment AAC) **** 655 Squadron AAC,

AAC Ballykelly Shackleton Barracks is a former British military installation at Ballykelly in Northern Ireland. History The site formerly known as RAF Ballykelly was handed over to the British Army as Shackleton Barracks on 2 June 1971. Battalion HQ and HQ Co ...

, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 2nd Infantry Division **** 665 Squadron AAC, (16x Gazelle AH.1), supported HQ Northern Ireland **** 1 Flight AAC, (Reconnaissance, 4x DHC-2 Beaver AOP) *** 7 Regiment AAC,

**** 656 Squadron AAC, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 1st Infantry Brigade **** 666 Squadron AAC (V), (Territorial Army, Home Defence, 12x Gazelle AH.1) **** 2 Flight AAC, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported NATO's

AMF(L) The Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (AMF) was a small NATO quick reaction force, headquartered at Heidelberg, Germany, active from 1960 to 2002. It formed part of Allied Command Europe (ACE), headquartered at SHAPE at Casteau, Belgium. The lan ...

*** 657 Squadron AAC, Colchester Garrison, (Anti-Tank, 4x Gazelle AH.1, 12x Lynx AH.7), supported 9th Infantry Brigade; joined 9 Regiment AAC in July 1990. ** 9 Regiment AAC, RAF Topcliffe, part of

24th Airmobile Brigade The 24th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army from the First World War. It was reraised during the Second World War, as the 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards). During various designations, the brigade was active throughout the C ...

*** 672 Squadron AAC, (Lynx Light Battlefield Helicopter Squadron, activated 1 January 1990, 12x Lynx AH.9) *** 3 Flight AAC, (4x Gazelle AH.1) ** School of Army Aviation,

*** 670 Squadron AAC, Middle Wallop, (Operational Training, 12x Gazelle AH.1, activated 1989) *** 671 Squadron AAC, Middle Wallop, (Conversion to Type, 8x Gazelle AH.1, 8x Lynx AH.7) *** Trade Training School (Ground Crew & Maintenance Training) **

660 Squadron AAC No. 660 Squadron AAC (660 Sqn) is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps (AAC). The squadron traces its lineage to a Royal Air Force squadron that existed during the Second World War. In the late 1950s the squadron's numerical was transf ...

, RAF Sek Kong, Hong Kong, (12x Scout AH.1), supported British Forces Hong Kong, two Scouts detached to British Forces Brunei *** C Flight,

Anduki Airfield Anduki Airfield () is a domestic airfield and heliport located in Seria, a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. It is operated by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), and uses Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in suppor ...

in Seria, Brunei, (2x Scout AH.1) ** 664 Squadron AAC, St George's Barracks in

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

, West Germany, (Reconnaissance, 12x Gazelle AH.1), supported

** Development & Trials Squadron,

, (12x Gazelle AH.1, under Director Army Air Corps. On 1 April 1990 renamed 667 (D&T) Squadron AAC) **

7 Flight AAC Number 7 Flight Army Air Corps (7 Flt AAC) was an independent flight of the British Army's Army Air Corps, latterly based at the British garrison at Medicina Lines in Seria, Brunei, on the island of Borneo. History The flight was originally f ...

, RAF Gatow, Berlin, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported the Berlin Infantry Brigade **

8 Flight 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 at ...

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 ...

, Hereford, (4x A109A Hirundo), supported the

Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...

** 12 Flight AAC,

RAF Wildenrath Royal Air Force Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase near Wildenrath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that operated from 1952 to 1992. Wildenrath was the first of four 'clutch' stations ...

, Germany, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported British Army of the Rhine **

16 Flight AAC 16 Flight AAC was an independent flight within the British Army's Army Air Corps. It appears to have initially been formed in 1961, and operated in Aden and Borneo. Reformed circa 1982, it was based at Dhekelia in Cyprus, It operated in support o ...

Kingsfield Airfield Kingsfield may refer to: Characters *Professor Charles Kingsfield, a fictional character in the John Jay Osborn, Jr. 1970 novel, '' The Paper Chase'', as well as the film version Places * Kingsfield, Herefordshire, England * Kingsfield, Maine, ...

Dhekelia Dhekelia Cantonment ( el, Φρουρά Δεκέλεια, tr, Dikelya Cantonment) is a military base in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as the Sovereign Base Areas. It is located in the ...

, Cyprus, (4x Gazelle AH.1) supported British Forces Cyprus **

25 Flight AAC 25 Flight Army Air Corps is a flight within the British Army's Army Air Corps, currently part of the British Army Training Unit Kenya. History The flight was formed in 1987 in Belize where it operated Sioux AH1 helicopters. The flight returne ...

, Price Barracks, Belize, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

British Army Training and Support Unit Belize British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), the successor of the former British Forces Belize, is the name given to the current British Army Garrison in Belize. The garrison is used primarily for jungle warfare training, with access to o ...

29 (BATUS) Flight AAC The 29 (BATUS) Flight Army Air Corps is an independent flight within the British Army's Army Air Corps that supports the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). BATUS conducts major training exercises in the Canadian province of Alberta, ...

, CFB Suffield, Canada, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported

British Army Training Unit Suffield The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Suffield, Alberta, Canada. BATUS is the British Army's largest armoured training facility, and it can ...

** UNFICYP Flight AAC, Nicosia Airport, Cyprus, (4x Gazelle AH.1), supported United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

War on Terror

A further boost in the Army Air Corps' capability came in the form of the Westland Apache AH.1 attack helicopter, introduced in 2004. In 2006, British Apaches deployed to Afghanistan as part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force. In 2004, Britten-Norman Defender fixed wing aircraft were purchased for Afghanistan and Iraq.

End of fixed-wing flying, 2019–2021

In April 2019, 651 Squadron personnel and aircraft, the Islander and Defender, were transferred from 5 Regiment to No. 1 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing Royal Air Force. 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021.

Current structure and deployment

Mascot

The Army Air Corps adopted their first Corps Mascot – Zephyr, a bald eagle – in October 2011.

Training

The training of future Army Air Corps aircrew is delivered by the joint service UK Military Flying Training System. Elementary Flying Training was delivered at RAF Barkston Heath with 674 Squadron AAC, up until the Squadron’s standing down in April 2021. Training Units,

* 7 (Training) Regiment AAC ** 671 Squadron – Lynx/Gazelle/Bell 212'j'' (Future uncertain, given retirement of Gazelle and Lynx fleets) ** 673 Squadron – Apache Conversion to type * No. 1 Flying Training School RAF, RAF Shawbury , Juno HT.1 ** 660 Squadron ** 670 Squadron – Operational Training

Personnel

Army Air Corps Soldiers on Parade at Middle Wallop MOD 45153461

The strength of the Army Air Corps is about 2,000 Regular personnel, of which 500 are officers. However, the AAC draws an additional 2,600 personnel from the Royal Logistic Corps, the

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers". History Prior to REME's for ...

and the

Adjutant General Corps The Adjutant General's Corps, formerly the Adjutant General's Department, is a branch of the United States Army first established in 1775. This branch provides personnel service support by manning the force, providing human resources services, c ...

. Therefore, total related Army Air Corps personnel is around 4,600.

Aircraft

Since 2019, the AAC solely operates rotary-wing aircraft in the operational environment. The AAC uses the same designation system for aircraft as the

and the Fleet Air Arm. The sole fixed-wing trainer is the Grob Tutor, used for Army Flying Grading. Today AAC aviators fly five types of helicopter, and within each type there are usually several marks/variants which carry out different roles. Pilots train with No. 1 Flying Training School at RAF Shawbury. The School is a tri-Service organisation consisting of civilian and military instructors that take the student from basic flying through to more advanced flying such as instrument flying, navigation, formation flying and captaincy. In service aircraft include: the

Bell 212 The Bell 212 (also known as the ''Twin Two-Twelve'') is a two-blade, medium helicopter that first flew in 1968. Originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, production was moved to Mirabel, Quebec, Canada in ...

HP AH1, the Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II, the Airbus Helicopters H135 Juno, the Westland Gazelle AH1, the

Westland 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 an ...

AH.1 and the AgustaWestland Apache AH1 which is being replaced by the Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache. File:Apache WAH64D Helicopter MOD 45149194.jpg, AgustaWestland Apache AH.1 File:AH-64E Apache-Guardian-0006.jpg, Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache File:Gazelle - RIAT 2014 (14740412124).jpg,

Westland Gazelle AH.1 Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

File:AW159 AH1 FARP.jpeg, AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 File:ZJ780 (8489535587).jpg,

Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS365 Dauphin (''Dolphin''), also formerly known as the Aérospatiale SA 365 Dauphin 2, is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters. It was originally developed ...

File:Army Air Corps Bell 212 Helicopter from 671 Squadron MOD (cropped).jpg,

Command and units

Below is the current structure of the Army Air Corps as of 27 October 2021: *

1st Aviation Brigade The 1st Aviation Brigade commands three distinctly different battalions—the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment; the 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment; and the 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, the former Unmanned Aircraft System ...

** 1 Regiment AAC, RNAS Yeovilton ( AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat) *** No. 651 Squadron *** No. 659 Squadron *** No. 661 Squadron *** No. 652 Squadron (OCU) ** 5 Regiment AAC, Aldergrove ( Aérospatiale Gazelle) *** No. 665 Squadron *** No. 667 Squadron (

)

or administration Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Miss ...

in Brunei (under British Forces Brunei) *** No. 29 (BATUS) Flight

at CFB Suffield ** 3 Regiment AAC ( AgustaWestland Apache and Boeing AH-64E Version 6 Apache) *** No. 662 Squadron *** No. 663 Squadron ** 4 Regiment AAC (AgustaWestland Apache) *** No. 656 Squadron *** No. 664 Squadron ** No. 653 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit for Apache) ** 6 Regiment AAC ***RHQ/HQ Squadron, Bury St. Edmunds *** No. 675 (The Rifles) Squadron, Taunton/Yeovil *** No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron, Bury St. Edmunds *** No. 678 (The Rifles) Squadron, Milton Keynes/Luton *** No. 679 (The Duke of Connaught's) Squadron, Portsmouth/Middle Wallop *** Aviation Specialist Group, Middle Wallop Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing * No. 658 Squadron (

), at

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

Independent units

* No. 660 Squadron AAC, No. 660 Squadron (previously part of the

, now part of No. 1 Flying Training School RAF) * Army Flying Grading (previously the Initial Fixed Wing Flight)

Battle honours

The Army Air Corps is classed, in UK military parlance, as a "Combat Arm". It, therefore, carries its own colours and guidons, guidon and is awarded battle honours. The honours awarded to the AAC are: * Normandy Landings 1944 * Merville Gun Battery, Merville Battery 1944 * Operation Plunder, Rhine 1945 * North-West Europe Campaign of 1944–1945, North West Europe 1944 – 45 * Allied invasion of Sicily, Sicily 1943 * Pegasus Bridge * Battle of Arnhem, Arnhem 1944 * Southern France * Falklands War, Falkland Islands 1982 * Battle of Wadi al-Batin, Wadi al-Batin 1991 * Operation Granby, Gulf 1991 * Al-Basrah * 2003 Iraq War, Iraq 2003

Alliances

* – No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron * – Australian Army Aviation

Order of precedence

References

Bibliography

* Anthony Farrar-Hockley, Farrar-Hockley, General Sir Anthony. ''The Army in the Air: The History of the Army Air Corps''. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd., 1994. . * * Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. . * Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). . * Mead, Peter. ''Soldiers in the Air: The Development of Army Flying''. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1967. * Parham Major General H.J. & Belfield E.M.G. ''Unarmed into Battle: The Story of the Air Observation Post''. Warren & son, for the Air O.P. Officers' Association, Winchester, 1956. (Second edition: Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK: Picton Publishing Ltd., 1986. ) * Rawlings, John D.R. ''Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1982. .

External links

*
School of Army Aviation

Army Air Corps Historic Aircraft Flight official webpage

The Blue Eagles – Army Air Corps Helicopter Display Team official webpage

The Silver Eagles – Army Air Corps Freefall Parachute Display Team official webpage

Army Air Corps group pool of images on Flickr

Army Air Corps in Germany private webpage
{{Authority control Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), Military units and formations established in 1942 1942 establishments in the United Kingdom Army aviation Army aviation units and formations