List of Australian Army aviation units explained

This is a list of Australian Army aviation units. 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. More recently Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been introduced into service and are operated by the Royal Australian Artillery.^[1]

Units

Joint Army-RAAF units

• 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

• 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
    • 171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron
    • 173rd Special Operations Aviation Squadron

Independent Army aviation flights and squadrons

• 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

• 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

Training units

• Australian Army Aviation Training Centre
  • Australian School of Army Aviation
  • Australian Army Helicopter School
• Australian Defence Force Helicopter School

See also

• List of Royal Australian Air Force aircraft squadrons
• List of Australian Fleet Air Arm flying squadrons

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

• Book: Eather, Steve. Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Aerospace Publications. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory. 1995. 1-875671-15-3.

External links

• History of Australian Army Aviation

Notes and References

1. Web site: 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment . https://web.archive.org/web/20150621011519/http://www.army.gov.au/Our-people/Units/Forces-Command/6th-Brigade/20th-Surveillance-and-Target-Acquisition-Regiment . dead . 21 June 2015 . Department of Defence . 7 March 2012 . 21 June 2015 .