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]
Units
editJoint Army-RAAF units
edit- No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF (RAAF unit with large Army component formed in 1953, absorbed into the 16th Army Light Aircraft Squadron)
- 1st Army Aviation Company (comprised pilots only flying charted civilian aircraft formed in 1957, absorbed into the 16th Army Light Aircraft Squadron)
- No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron (joint Army / RAAF unit formed in 1960, became the 1st Aviation Regiment)
Army aviation regiments and brigades
edit- 16th Aviation Brigade (non-flying headquarters)
- 1st Aviation Regiment
- 161st Squadron
- 162nd Squadron
- 5th Aviation Regiment
- A Squadron
- B Squadron
- C Squadron
- 6th Aviation Regiment
- 1st Aviation Regiment
Independent Army aviation flights and squadrons
edit- 161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight (formed in 1965 and served in Vietnam, later became part of the 1st Aviation Regiment)
- 183rd Independent Reconnaissance Flight (Papua & New Guinea) (Formed at RAAF Amberley in 1968 and deployed to Lae PNG to replace a Detachment of two C180 aircraft based at Port Moresby since 1965. A mixed fixed and rotary wing unit it was disbanded in 1976 after PNG gained independence)
Units operating UAVs
editTraining units
editSee also
editNotes
edit- Footnotes
- ^ The Australian Flying Corps was formed as part of the Army in 1912 but later became a separate service, with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) being formed in 1921. As such these units are not included in this list.
- Citations
- ^ Eather 1995, pp. 146–152.
- ^ "20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment". Department of Defence. 7 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
References
edit- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.