Army aviation

Army Aviation
U.S. soldiers in OH-58D Kiowa and AH-64 Apache helicopters conduct a combat air patrol in Iraq.

Soldiers rapelling from a JGSDF UH-1H at Camp Matsudo, Japan, in 2007

A Defender surveillance aircraft, from the Army Air Corps of the British Army.

CH-53G helicopter of the German Army Aviators Corps during Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq

French Army Light Aviation Eurocopter Cougar in Afghanistan

Indian Army HAL Dhruv helicopter deploying US troops during joint exercise

Army Aviation refers to aviation-related units of a nation's army, often described as an air corps. Most Nations include their Rotary Wing assets in their Air Force.

Tasks

The tasks of each army's aviation units are defined slightly different, depending on nationality. Some general characteristics, however, apply to all army aviation units regardless of provenience:

• Attack Role and Anti-Tank Warfare
• Logistic and battlefield support
• Tactical transport both internally and externally, of personnel and material
• Search and rescue
• Medical evacuation
• Reconnaissance and fire support in a combined arms team
• Surveillance
• Liaison
• Disaster relief

Equipment

In order to fulfill their manifold tasks, army aviation mostly uses helicopters. These helicopters can be classified into the following types:

• Attack Helicopters - Conduct Attack/Reconnaissance Operations including Close Combat Attack (CCA) in support of ground troops and Anti-Tank role
• Observation Helicopters - Conduct Reconnaissance Operations and report to Ground Commander, Attack Helicopter, or other friendly assets
• Utility Helicopters - Transport friendly units, VIPs, equipment and supplies
• CSAR - Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC)/MEDEVAC helicopters
• Cargo Helicopters - Transport friendly units, equipment and supplies in large quantity
• Light, transport/surveillance, fixed-wing aircraft.

List of national army aviation components

• Argentine Army Aviation
• Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
• German Army Aviation Corps
• Army Aviation Corps (India)
• Australian Army Aviation
• Brazilian Army Aviation Command
• Colombian National Army Aviation
• French Army Light Aviation
• Indonesian Army Aviation
• Iranian Army Aviation
• Italian Army Aviation
• Malaysian Army Aviation
• Portuguese Army Light Aviation Unit
• Pakistan Army Aviation Corps
• Spanish Army Airmobile Force
• Republic of Korea Army Aviation
• United States Army Aviation Branch

See also

• Military aircraft
• Timeline of military aviation

References

Further reading

• Allen, Matthew (1993), Military helicopter doctrines of the major powers, 1945-1992. Making decisions about air-land warfare, Westport (CT): Greenwood, ISBN 0-313-28522-5 
• Gunston, Bill (1981), An illustrated guide to military helicopters, New York: Arco Publishing, ISBN 0-668-05345-3 
• Halberstadt, Hans (1990), Army Aviation, Novato (CA): Presidio, ISBN 0-89141-251-4 
• Sutton, John; Walker, John (1990), From horse to helicopter. Transporting the British Army in war and peace, London: Cooper, ISBN 0-85052-724-4 
• Warner, Guy; Boyd, Alex (2004), Army Aviation in Ulster, Newtownards, Co. Down: Colourpoint Books, ISBN 1-904242-27-8 
• Young, Ralph B. (2000), Army aviation in Vietnam. An illustrated history of unit insignia, aircraft camouflage and markings, Ramsey (NJ): Huey Co., ISBN 0-9671980-1-1 

External links

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