The 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment (1^er Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat) (1er RHC) is based at Quartier La Horie, in Phalsbourg.

History

The 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment was created on 1 August 1977, but traces its origins back to the 1950s. It carries the traditions of the 1st then the 21st Artillery Observation Groups which achieved particular fame during the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...

, winning six citations. The 1st Aerial Artillery Observation Group was established on 20 November 1945, and became the 21st Aerial Artillery Observation Group on 1 October 1950. From 1945 to February 1946 it was stationed at Camp de Valdahon. It was dissolved on 31 December 1953.1° Groupe aérien d'observation d'artillerie – 1st GAOA – 21st GAOA. Mis sur pied au camp de Valdahon le 20 novembre 1945, embarque à Marseille le 1 Décember on the "Boissevin" . It arrived at Saïgon on 18 December. Devant faire mouvement sur le

Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, including both the ...

, a détachement est embarqué au Cap-Saint-Jacques, on the French aircraft carrier Béarn and arrived en baie d'Along on 7 March 1946. Le 10, le détachement s'installe à Cat Bi, l'aérodrome d'Haiphong, et perçoit son premier Morane 500. Au 1 May la situation du 1st GAOA was as follows: the 1st escadrille was stationed à Tourane with four Morane, the 2nd escadrille à Seno avec quatre Morane, and the 3rd escadrille at Haiphong with four Morane. Cette dernière s'installe à

Hanoï Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red and Black Rivers). As a municipality, Hanoi consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural d ...

. Les effets du décret du 3 mars 1952, créant officiellement l'ALOA. That heritage is recalled by the inscription "Indochina 1946–1954" carried on the standard which was solemnly presented to the regiment on 27 June 1980. Camp de la Horie at Phalsbourg where the regiment is stationed was built on the basis of the former Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, vacated in the 1960s by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. The base was constructed by French workers for the Americans in 1953. Cited in an army order, the régiment received the Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures with palm on 11 July 1991. It has been awarded battle honours for Kuwait.Koweït 1990–1991"Edition Chronologique n° 45 du 29 octobre 2010".Le Ministère de la Défense instruction n°1515/DEF/EMA/OL/2 du 23 septembre 1983, modifiée, sur les filiations et l'héritage des traditions des unités; décision n°010318/DEF/CAB/SDBG/CPAG du 15 juillet 2008 portant création d'une commission des emblèmes. Art. 1. L'incription "Koweït 1990–1991" est attribuée aux flags et standards formations des armées énumérated below. 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, 4th Régiment de dragon, 1st Spahi Regiment, 6th Command and Support Régiment, 1st R.H.C, 3rd R.H.C, as well as formations of the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

(5th, 7th, 11th de Chasse, 11th Reconnaissance, 61^e, 62^e de Transport). Le présent arrêté sera publié au bulletin officiel des armées, Hervé Morin. In 1990 the 1st RHC took part in Opération Daguet (Operation Brocket) in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. It has also seen service in

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

, in

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

, in

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, in the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

, in

Timor Timor (, , ) is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, divided between the sovereign states of Timor-Leste in the eastern part and Indonesia in the ...

, in

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

and in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Organization

The regiment is divided into 3 battalions: * The airmobile support battalion with ** 1 aerodrome services squadron; ** 1 command and logistics squadron; ** 1 defense and protection squadron of reservists. * The reconnaissance and attack helicopter battalion with: ** 1 squadron of reconnaissance and attack helicopters using

Aérospatiale Gazelle The Aérospatiale Gazelle (company designations SA 340, SA 341 and SA 342) is a five-seat helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aircraft company Sud Aviation, and later by Aérospatiale. It is the first helicopter to feature ...

Viviane ** 2 attack destruction squadrons using Eurocopter Tigre HADs ** 1 Tigre/Gazelle helicopter maintenance squadron. *The maneuver and assault helicopter battalion with: ** 2 squadrons of maneuver and assault helicopters using NHIndustries NH90 TTH Caïmans; ** 1 squadron of maneuver and assault helicopters using Aérospatiale SA 330 Pumas ** 1 Caïman/Puma helicopter maintenance squadron.

Commanding officers

Notes

References

External links

* {{official, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/l-armee-de-terre-au-contact/le-niveau-divisionnaire/commandement-de-l-aviation-legere-de-l-armee-de-terre/1er-regiment-d-helicopteres-de-combat Regiments of French Army Light Aviation Military units and formations established in 1977