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No. 658 Squadron AAC

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This article is about the Army Air Corps. For the Royal Air Force, see No. 658 Squadron RAF.
658 Squadron AAC
Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II in 2010
Active1 Sept 2013 – Present[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
BranchUnited Kingdom British Army
TypeAviation
RoleSpecial operations aviation support
Part ofJoint Special Forces Aviation Wing
Garrison/HQStirling Lines
Motto(s)Latin: Videmus Delemus
(Translation: "We see and destroy")[1]
Aircraft flown
HelicopterEurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II

658 Squadron AAC is a British Army helicopter squadron part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.[2] The squadron was re-designated from 8 Flight AAC in 2013.[1]

History

658 Squadron

No. 658 Squadron traces it lineage to the Royal Air Force No. 658 Squadron formed in April 1943 and disbanded in November 1955.[3]

No. 658 Squadron AAC was formed on 24 October 1969 at Minden as part of the 1 Division Aviation Squadron AAC.[4][5] In 1978, squadron moved to Soest as part of 4 Regiment AAC and disbanded.[4] The squadron reformed c. 1982 as part of 7 Regiment AAC based at Airfield Camp, Netheravon.[4] In April 1995, the squadron became a Territorial Army unit part of 7 Regiment AAC (Volunteers).[4]

On 1 April 2009, the squadron was disbanded at Netheravon.[1]

8 Flight

8 Flight traces it lineage to the Royal Air Force No. 1908 AOP Flight formed on 31 December 1946, disbanded on 7 October 1955 and later reformed on 16 October that year.[6]

On 1 September 1957, 8 Flight AAC was formed as 8 Reconnaissance Flight with the transfer of No. 1908 AOP Flight based at RAF Idris in Libya to the newly formed Army Air Corps.[6] The flight relocated to Kenya where it was re-designated as 8 Flight AAC.[7][8] The flight subsequently relocated to Aden operating the Westland Scout helicopter.[8][9] The flight later deployed to Northern Ireland operating the Scout and Bell Sioux helicopters.[10] In 1979, the flight was based at Airfield Camp, Netheravon.[11] In 1984, the Agusta A109A/AM helicopter entered service with the flight.[12][13] In 1984, the flight was part of 7 Regiment AAC.[14][13] The flight operated a fleet of four A109As in civilian livery, two of which were captured from the Argentine forces in the Falklands War and allocated to the flight.[15][16] In 1995, 7 Regiment re-roled as a Territorial Army unit 7 Regiment AAC (V).[14] In 2000, the flight relocated to Stirling Lines.[8]

In 2001, the flight was incorporated into the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW).[2] The flight operated the Westland Gazelle AH1 helicopter c. 2007.[17][18] In 2009, the flight converted from the A109A to four Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin helicopters in civilian livery.[19][20] The flight operated the Gazelle AH1 c. 2012.[21]

Present day

On 1 September 2013, 8 Flight AAC was re-designated as 658 Squadron AAC.[1][22]

In June 2017, the squadron landed a Dauphin on London Bridge to provide support to the Metropolitan Police Service in response to the London Bridge terrorist attack.[23]

Aircraft operated

Aircraft Variant Introduced In service Notes
Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin[24] II 2009 6[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "658 Squadron AAC". Facebook. Army Air Corps. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b "JSFAW - Responsibilities and Composition". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014.
  3. ^ "658 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "658 Sqn Army Air Corps History". British Army. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  5. ^ "658 Squadron". British Army units from 1945 on. 30 June 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Flight Histories - 1900 Series". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  7. ^ Hickey, Colonel Michael (2013). "Air Op and the Army Air Corps, Post WW II" (PDF). Royal Air Force Historical Society. 54. Windrush Group. ISSN 1361-4231. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "8 Flight AAC". British Army units from 1945 on. 10 February 2016.
  9. ^ The Likes of Leicester by Ross Mallock (2013), p. 37, at Google Books
  10. ^ Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969 – 2007 by Nicholas van der Bijl at Google Books
  11. ^ Wheeler, Barry C (1979). Air Forces of the World. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 39. ISBN 9780684162867.
  12. ^ Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth (22 June 2008). "Helicopters - Column 1835W". www.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Movements December 1984". Soesterberg Movements. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  14. ^ a b 'LZ' (Spring 2012). "Airfield Camp, Netheravon 1912 – 2012" (PDF). Army Air Corps Journal. No. 52. pp. 40–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2013.
  15. ^ Secretary of State for Defence Adam Ingram (27 June 2005). "Helicopters - Column 1207W". www.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  16. ^ "World's Air Forces". Flight International. Flight Global. 30 November 1985.
  17. ^ Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth (1 October 2007). "Military Aircraft: Helicopters - Column 2351W". www.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  18. ^ "8 Flight". Helicopter History Site. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  19. ^ Secretary of State for Defence Quentin Davies (15 January 2009). "Military Aircraft: Helicopters - Column 883W". www.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  20. ^ Tim Ripley (10 December 2008). "UK Army Air Corps received Dauphins". Jane's Defence Weekly. 45 (50): 10.
  21. ^ Ministry of Defence (19 February 2015). "Chapter 4 - Formations, Vessels, Aircraft and Vehicles of the Armed Forces". United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2012 (PDF). Aircraft Table 4.10. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  22. ^ Gary Parsons (January 2014). "News briefs". AirForces Monthly. No. 310. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 7. ISSN 0955-7091.}
  23. ^ Farmer, Ben (4 June 2017). "SAS 'Blue Thunder' helicopter team called in after London attack". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  24. ^ Ripley, Tom (July 2015). "Britain's Flying Soldiers Back at home base". AirForces Monthly. No. 328. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 78. ISSN 0955-7091.
  25. ^ Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) Julian Brazier (4 March 2015). "Military Aircraft: Written question - 225371 - Aircraft Platforms table". www.parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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