5 Regiment Army Air Corps Explained

Unit Name:5 Regiment Army Air Corps
Dates:1 October 1993 – present
Country: United Kingdom
Type:Aviation
Size:Regiment
Command Structure:Joint Aviation Command
Garrison:JHC FS Aldergrove
Motto:Nothing is Impossible
Identification Symbol:The Regimental emblem is the Army Air Corps Cap Badge with the Roman numerals V beneath.
Identification Symbol Label:Squadron Badge heraldry

5 Regiment Army Air Corps is a regiment of the British Army and is part of the Joint Aviation Command (JAC).[1] The regiment is based in Northern Ireland at JHC FS Aldergrove.[1]

History

5 Regiment traces its origin to the Northern Ireland Regiment formed on 1 November 1979 at RAF Aldergrove.[2] [3] On 1 October 1993, the Northern Ireland Regiment was renamed 5 Regiment AAC.[2]

The regiment consisted of No. 655 (The Scottish Horse) Squadron AAC, No. 665 Squadron AAC and 1 Flight AAC.[4] 655 Squadron operated the Westland Lynx AH7 helicopter.[5] 665 Squadron operated the Westland Gazelle AH1 helicopter.[6] 1 Flight operated the fixed wing Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft which had entered service on 10 March 1989.[7]

The primary task of 1 Flight was photo reconnaissance under the direction of the Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (Northern Ireland) (RIC(NI).[8] [9] In 2000, the (RIC(NI)) was renamed the Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre and Geographic Centre (Northern Ireland) (RIGC(NI)).[9]

In March 2007, 655 Squadron was disbanded as Operation Banner was drawing to a close and due to a need to reduce the Lynx fleet set to be retired in 2012.[10] [11] The Lynx aircraft of 655 remained at RAF Aldergrove and was operated by 665 Squadron through to the end of Operation Banner on 31 July 2007.[11] [10] On 1 August 2007, Operation Helvetic commenced with 665 Squadron operating the Gazelle and 1 Flight operating the Islander.[12]

In July 2008, No. 651 Squadron of 1 Regiment AAC moved to RAF Aldergrove and became part of 5 Regiment.[13] 651 Squadron had been re-raised in 2006 at RAF Odiham to operate the Britten-Norman Defender fixed wing aircraft which had entered service in March 2004.[14] [15] 1 Flight was integrated into 651 Squadron following the squadron's move to Aldergrove.[14] [16]

In 2009, RAF Aldergrove was renamed Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove.[17] In 2010, the tri-service RIGC(NI) became part of 5 Regiment.[9] In 2018, the RIGC(NI) was renamed No. 3 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Squadron and transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of No. 1 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing.[18] [19]

On 1 April 2019, 651 Squadron and its aircraft, the Britten-Norman Defender and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, were transferred to the Royal Air Force as part of ISTAR Force in No. 1 Group based at RAF Waddington.[20] [21] [22] 651 Squadron continued to operate the aircraft until they were retired from service on 30 June 2021.[20] [23] [24] On 1 August 2021, 651 Squadron transferred back to the Army as part of 1 Regiment AAC.[25]

Structure

The regiment consists of:

The regiment has administrative responsibility for No. 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC based at Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Canada, which formerly operated Gazelle helicopters, until they were retired from service in October 2023.[27] [13] [28] [29]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joint Helicopter Commando . British Army . 21 March 2020.
  2. Web site: 5 Regiment - History . British Army . 23 February 2020 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20061003191730/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/5_regiment_history.htm . 3 October 2006 . 12 April 2006 . dead .
  3. Web site: Army Air Corps - Major Units 5 to 9 . British Army units from 1945 on . 23 February 2020.
  4. Web site: Units of 5 Regiment Army Air Corps . British Army . 23 February 2020 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080109045132/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/5regtunits.htm . 9 January 2008 . 22 November 2006 . dead .
  5. Web site: History of 655 Squadron. British Army. 23 February 2020. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060515171408/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/655_sqn_history.htm. 15 May 2006. 12 April 2006. dead.
  6. Web site: 5 Regiment - 665 Squadron. British Army. 23 February 2020. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080109172748/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/665_squadron.htm. 9 January 2008. 31 October 2006. dead.
  7. Web site: 5 Regiment - 1 Flight AAC. British Army. 23 February 2020. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080109045440/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/1_flight_aac.htm. 9 January 2008. 31 October 2006. dead.
  8. Web site: 1 Flight AAC History . British Army . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20060704131322/http://www.army.mod.uk/aac/units/5_regiment_aac/1_flight_aac/1_flight_aac_history.htm . 4 July 2006 . 5 June 2020 . live .
  9. Web site: Merritt. Flt Lt. Wright. Flt Lt. A Brief History and Update for the Reconnaissance Intelligence and Geographic Centre (Northern Ireland) . The Institution of Royal Engineers . 27 February 2020.
  10. Web site: Minister of State for the Armed Forces Adam Ingram . Written Ministerial Statements - 655 Squadron Army Air Corps . UK Parliament . House of Commons . 23 February 2020 . 24 March 2006.
  11. 5 Regt AAC NI . LZDZ Newspaper of the Joint Helicopter Command . Summer 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090904032414/http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0A6B09EC-4B44-4195-81A8-770AE35611AF/0/lzdz_summer07.pdf. 4 September 2009. dead.
  12. Web site: Operation HELVETIC - Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland (JHF(NI)) . Ministry of Defence . https://web.archive.org/web/20070815194528/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Templates/RoleHubContentPage.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b7EE3C4FE-EC2F-408A-9901-27B0A174F5C5%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fDefenceInternet%2fAboutDefence%2fWhatWeDo%2fAirSafetyandAviation%2fJHC%2fNorthernIreland%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest . 15 August 2007.
  13. Web site: 5 Regiment Army Air Corps . British Army . 23 February 2020 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20151002155112/https://www.army.mod.uk/aviation/27834.aspx . 2 October 2015 . dead .
  14. Web site: 651 Squadron Army Air Corps . British Army . https://web.archive.org/web/20170604232001/http://www.army.mod.uk/aviation/30331.aspx . 4 June 2017. dead.
  15. Web site: Defender . British Army . https://web.archive.org/web/20180113124949/http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/23292.aspx. 13 January 2018. dead.
  16. Book: Warner . Guy . First in the Field : The Story of 651, the Army Air Corps' Premier Squadron . 2011 . Pen & Sword Aviation . Barnsley . 9781848842632.
  17. Web site: JHC FS Aldergrove . Royal Air Force . 22 March 2020.
  18. Haley . Sqn Ldr Sam . 1 ISR Wing Fifth Anniversary . 13 August 2021 . INSIGHT - The magazine of RAF Waddington . Lance Print Ltd . Summer 2021. Kettering. 7.
  19. Web site: RAF Waddington . Royal Air Force . 13 August 2021.
  20. News: Jennings. Gareth. UK transfers Defender and Islander special mission aircraft from AAC to RAF. Jane's Defence Weekly. 2 April 2019. 23 February 2020.
  21. Hay . Air Cdre Nick . Michell . Simon . ISTAR evolution . Air & Space Power 2019 Multi-Domain Operations for the Next Generation Air Force . 75 . 13 August 2021 . 2019 . Global Media Partners . Essex.
  22. @HarvSmyth. Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group. 1112730019372195842. 1 April 2019. Handover of Fixed Wing Manned Aerial Surveillance from Army to RAF..
  23. News: Farewell Islander/Defender . 13 August 2021 . Scramble . Dutch Aviation Society . 11 July 2021.
  24. News: British Army Retires Final Defender, Islander Aircraft . 13 August 2021 . Key.Aero . Key Publishing . subscription . 12 July 2021.
  25. @1_Regt_AAC. 1 Regiment Army Air Corps. 1421870891508633600. 1 August 2021. 651 Sqn AAC moves to 1 Regt AAC..
  26. Web site: 665 Squadron Army Air Corps . British Army . 23 February 2020 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20151002171026/http://www.army.mod.uk/aviation/30330.aspx . 2 October 2015 . dead .
  27. Web site: 29 (BATUS) Flight Army Air Corps . British Army . 23 February 2020 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20151002171030/http://www.army.mod.uk/aviation/30332.aspx . 2 October 2015 . dead .
  28. ArmyAirCorps. The Army Air Corps. 1166995946963709953. 29 August 2019. Great footage of 29 Flight AAC and their fleet of Gazelle helicopters..
  29. Web site: Zubova . Xenia . 2023-10-24 . Goodbye Gazelle: Helicopter retiring from Army Air Corps after 49 years . 2023-10-30 . Forces Network . en.

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