No. 658 Squadron AAC

No. 658 Squadron AAC
Active 1 Sept 2013 – Present
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch United Kingdom Army Air Corps
Type Joint unit
Role Special forces aviation support
Garrison/HQ Stirling Lines
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]

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

FromToAircraftVariantNotes
1 September 2013PresentEurocopter AS365N3 DauphinII[3]
1 September 2013PresentWestland GazelleAH1[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "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.
  3. 1 2 3 Gary Parsons (January 2014). "News briefs". AirForces Monthly. Stamford: Key Publishing: pg.7.
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