List of Australian Army aviation units

Australian Army GAF Nomad at Wagga Wagga.

This is a list of Australian Army aviation units.^{[Note 1]} The Australian Army Aviation Corps was formed in 1947, 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.^[1] More recently Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been introduced into service and are operated by the Royal Australian Artillery.^[2]

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)
• 16th 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 Aviation Squadron
    • 173rd 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)

Units operating UAVs

• 131st Surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery (trials only)
• 132nd Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battery, 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (forming, UAVs to be operational in 2008)

Training units

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

See also

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

Notes

Footnotes

1. The Australian Flying Corps was formed as part of the Army in 1912 but later became a separate service, with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) being formed in 1921. As such these units are not included in this list.

Citations

1. Eather 1995, pp. 146–152.
2. "20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment". Department of Defence. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2015.

References

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

External links

• History of Australian Army Aviation