Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)

Army Air Corps
Cap Badge of the Army Air Corps.
Active	1942–1949 1957–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Army aviation
Role	Battlefield support, reconnaissance
Size	2,000 personnel Approx. 200 aircraft
Garrison/HQ	1 Regiment: Yeovilton 2 Regiment: Middle Wallop 3 Regiment: Wattisham 4 Regiment: Wattisham 5 Regiment: Aldergrove 6 Regiment: Army Reserve 7 Regiment: Middle Wallop 9 Regiment: Dishforth
March	Quick: Recce Flight Slow: Thievish Magpie
Battle honours	Falkland Islands 1982 Wadi al Batin, Gulf 1991 Al-Basrah, Iraq 2003
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	HRH The Prince of Wales
Colonel of the Regiment	General The Rt Hon. The Lord Dannatt KCB CBE MC
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash
Aircraft flown
Attack	Apache AH1
Patrol	Lynx AH7/AH9A
Reconnaissance	Gazelle AH1 Islander AL1 Wildcat AH1
Trainer	Eurocopter Squirrel AS350BB Tutor T1
Transport	Bell 212HP Lynx AH7/AH9A AS365N3 Dauphin II Islander AL1

The Army Air Corps (AAC) is a component of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War. There are eight regiments (7 Regular Army and 1 Reserve) of the AAC as well as four Independent Flights and two Independent Squadrons deployed in support of British Army operations across the world. They are located in Britain, Brunei, Canada, and Germany. The AAC provides the offensive air elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade through Joint Helicopter Command.

The British Army first took to the sky during the 19th century with the use of observation balloons. In 1911 the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers was the first heavier-than-air British military aviation unit. The following year, the Battalion was expanded into the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps which saw action throughout most of the First World War until 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force.

Between the wars, the Army used RAF co-operation squadrons.

At the beginning of the Second World War, Royal Artillery officers, with the assistance of RAF technicians, flew Auster observation aircraft under RAF-owned Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadrons. Twelve such squadrons were raised —three of which belonged to the RCAF— and each performed vital duties in a wide array of missions in many theatres.

Early in the war, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced the establishment of a new branch of army aviation, the Army Air Corps, formed in 1942. The corps initially comprised the Glider Pilot Regiment and the Parachute Battalions (subsequently the Parachute Regiment), and the Air Observation Post Squadrons. In 1944, the SAS Regiment was added to the Corps.