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Army Aviation

Ten Boeing CH-47F (Foxtrot) operated by the ADF. The first eight downed while attacking Turkish
Chinook helicopters are in service, were leased from the US Army in 1971 ‘18 Black positions near Gaza.
all operated by the 5th Aviation for operations in Vietnam. By the end of the war, four AFC
Regiment in Townsville. This is the The Army operates 22 Hawks squadrons were flying in France, with
latest version of the long-serving Airbus Helicopters Tiger Armed 57 Australian pilots recognised as aces
heavy-lift helicopter and has proved Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARHs), remain in for shooting down five or more enemy
so useful that the initial acquisition of with 17 located in Darwin with the 1st aircraft.
seven was increased by three. Aviation Regiment and five at Oakey. service, all BRIG Benbow said the new
BRIG Jeremy King, Director- These too underwent a troubled RAAF, formed in 1921, focused on
General of Army Aviation Systems in development but are now at or near supporting air power and Army aviation was put
the Defence Capability, Acquisition peak capability. in abeyance. The Army’s interest in
and Sustainment Group, said we have domestic aviation in support of land forces did
stayed US Army-common with those From Mesopotamia to Vietnam not fully manifest again until late in
aircraft. While the Australian Army Aviation counter- World War 2.
These are expensive, complex Corps was formed in July 1968, Army That experience plus the conflict
aircraft and keeping the CH-47 fleet Aviation goes back much further. terrorism.’ in Korea showed the Army needed
close to the US baseline has allowed The Australian Flying Corps (AFC), aircraft specifically for reconnaissance,
substantial operational cost savings. a branch of the Army, was formed in surveillance, fires control and liaison.
“In some areas such as amphibious 1912, becoming the Royal Australian Immediately after WW2, a small
operations we have made a conscious Air Force (RAAF) in 1921. number of soldiers trained in the
decision to diverge from the US. For With the outbreak of war, their UK and were posted as instructors,
instance, our aircraft have a rotor first operational deployment was creating a cadre of trained aerial
brake which allows us to operate into Mesopotamia – modern day observation post (AOP) pilots.
safely from ships, which the US Army Iraq – operating a small number of Five went on to fly Austers on
doesn’t have on its Foxtrots,” he said. obsolescent and barely serviceable operations in Korea, with one Captain
The Army still operates 11 Kiowas, aircraft in support of British and Bryan Luscombe killed in action, the
all in the training role. These too are Indian troops fighting against Turkish Australian Army’s first aviation battle
on their way out, as their training forces. casualty since World War 1.
role is replaced by the 15 new Airbus In 1917, Lieutenant Frank Army pilots subsequently
EC135 aircraft operated by the Navy at McNamara became the first One of the Army’s 22 Tiger deployed to the Malayan Emergency,
the new ADF Joint Helicopter School Australian airman awarded the ARHs conducts first of class conducting patrols and reconnaissance
at Nowra. Victoria Cross for heroism when he flight trials with the LHD HMAS along the Malaya-Thailand border
These Kiowas are the last of 64 landed to rescue a fellow airman, Canberra. defence and showing the usefulness of soldiers,

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