1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team (United Kingdom) explained

Unit Name:	1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team
Dates:	1 April 2020–present ^[1]
Country:	United Kingdom
Type:	Army aviation
Role:	Attack Reconnaissance
Command Structure:	Joint Aviation Command
Garrison:	AAC Middle Wallop
Motto:	Fly, Fight, Lead^[2]
Aircraft Helicopter Attack:	Boeing AH-64E Apache
Aircraft Helicopter Observation:	Wildcat AH1

The 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team is an aviation formation of the British Army.^[3] Most of its units are from the Army Air Corps (AAC). It was stood up on 1 April 2020 by combining the Wattisham Flying Station Headquarters (WFS HQ), formerly the Attack Helicopter Force (AHF) at Wattisham and the Aviation Reconnaissance Force at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.^{[3] [4] [5]} It reached initial operating capability on 1 April 2021 and full operating capability on 1 January 2023.^[6]

Structure

As of May 2021 the units of the brigade are as follows:^[7]

• Headquarters, 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team, at AAC Middle Wallop
  • 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) (Aviation Reconnaissance, equipped with AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1)
  • 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, at Wattisham Flying Station (Aviation Attack, equipped with Boeing AH-64E Apache)
  • 4 Regiment Army Air Corps, at Wattisham Flying Station (Aviation Attack, equipped with Boeing AH-64E Apache)
  • 5 Regiment Army Air Corps, at Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove, Aldergrove (Northern Ireland aviation support)
  • 6 Regiment Army Air Corps (Army Reserve), at Blenheim Camp, Bury St Edmunds^[8] (Ground Crew Reserve)
  • 47th Regiment Royal Artillery, at Larkhill operating Thales Watchkeeper WK450 Unmanned Air Systems,^[9] since April 2021.^[10]
  • No. 653 Squadron, Army Air Corps, at Wattisham Flying Station (Conversion Training Unit)
  • 7 Aviation Support Battalion REME, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, at Wattisham Flying Station^[11]
    • 132 Aviation Support Squadron, Royal Logistic Corps^[12]

See also

• List of Army Air Corps aircraft units (United Kingdom)

References

• Book: Watling. Jack. Occasional Paper: Maximising the Utility of the British Army's Combat Aviation. Bronk. Justin. Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. 2021. Whitehall, London, United Kingdom.
• Web site: 22 November 2018. Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps.. dead. 20 February 2021. United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements. 15 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200915161827/https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2018-11-22/194616.

Notes and References

1. News: . Army establishes its 1st Aviation Brigade . British Army . 5 May 2020 . 7 May 2020 .
2. Web site: British Army Launches First Ever Aviation Brigade. 6 May 2020 . Forces Net. 6 May 2020.
3. Army establishes its 1st Aviation Brigade . British Army . 6 May 2020 . 5 May 2020.
4. News: . The Eagle Spring 2020 edition . The Eagle . Wattisham . 1 April 2020 . 7 May 2020 . 1 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200901103453/http://www.theeagleonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/WattishamEagleSpring2020web.pdf . dead .
5. News: Ripley . Tim . 6 April 2020 . UK forms aviation brigade . IHS Janes . 7 May 2020 .
6. News: . British Army Newsletter Issue 5 . British Army . 9 July 2020 . 9 July 2020 .
7. Watling & Bronk, pp. 27.
8. Web site: Army Air Corps. 2021-05-10. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
9. Web site: Cooper. Tim. Watchkeeper: Up Close With The UK-Built Drone That's Been Used In Afghanistan. 2021-10-25. Forces Network. 3 August 2021 . en.
10. News: . British Army Newsletter Issue 5 . British Army . 9 July 2020 . 9 July 2020 .
11. Web site: 31 January 2021. The Craftsman: Magazine of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. live. 16 April 2021. Issu. https://web.archive.org/web/20210912190503/https://issuu.com/official_reme/docs/craftsman_february_2021__website_ . 12 September 2021 .
12. Web site: The Sustainer: Royal Logistic Corps Regimental Magazine. 20 April 2021. Isssuu.