No. 658 Squadron AAC

No. 658 Squadron AAC
No. 658 Squadron AAC
Active	1 Sept 2013 – Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Army Air Corps
Type	Joint unit
Role	Special forces aviation support
Garrison/HQ	Credenhill Barracks
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II; Westland Gazelle AH1

No. 658 Squadron AAC is a squadron of the British Army's Army Air Corps.

The squadron is now operational after the expanding of No. 8 Flight AAC.

History

8 Flight AAC

No. 8 Flight AAC was formed on 1 September 1957 as No. 8 Independent Reconnaissance Flight AAC in Asia before shortly moving to Kenya.^[1]

During the mid-1960s the flight was renamed to No. 8 Flight AAC and operated in Aden in connection with No. 653 Squadron AAC.^[1]

The original flight was a detachment of aircraft and personnel from 653 (Netheravon) and 666 (Topcliff) Squadrons AAC with 2 Scout helicopters. There were two pilots and 3 REME Technicians supporting the SAS Team.^{[citation needed]}

In 1998 the flight moved to AAC Netheravon gaining Agusta A109As before moving to Credenhill Barracks around the year 2000 with Westland Gazelle AH.1 being added. During 2008/09 Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II replaced the A109A's.^[1] Two of the Agustas were captured from the Argentine forces in the Falklands War in 1982 as war prizes and the other two were bought new.^[2]

658 Squadron

Current use

8 Flight was renamed No. 658 Squadron AAC on 1 September 2013.^[3]

Aircraft operated

From	To	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
1 September 2013	Present	Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin	II	^[3]
1 September 2013	Present	Westland Gazelle	AH1	^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "8 Flight AAC". British Army units from 1945 on. 10 February 2016.
^ Tim Ripley (10 December 2008). "UK Army Air Corps received Dauphins". Jane's Defence Weekly. 45 (50): 10.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gary Parsons (January 2014). "News briefs". AirForces Monthly. Stamford: Key Publishing: pg.7. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)

[BAU1945-1] "8 Flight AAC". British Army units from 1945 on. 10 February 2016.

[2] Tim Ripley (10 December 2008). "UK Army Air Corps received Dauphins". Jane's Defence Weekly. 45 (50): 10.

[AFMJAN14-3] Gary Parsons (January 2014). "News briefs". AirForces Monthly. Stamford: Key Publishing: pg.7. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)

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