British Army Aviation in Action From Kosovo to Libya

321 Pages·2012·15.52 MB·English

by  Ripley

First published in Great Britain in 2011 by
Pen & Sword Military
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS

Copyright © Tim Ripley, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-84884-670-8
Digital Edition ISBN: 978-1-78346-139-4

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asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.

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Contents
Notes
Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Introduction – Army Air in Action
Chapter 2 British Army Helicopters, Aircraft and UAVs
Chapter 3 British Army in the Air – The First Century
Chapter 4 Phoenix over Kosovo, 1999 to 2001
Chapter 5 Lynx and Gazelle Support NATO in Kosovo, 1999 to 2001
Chapter 6 3 Regiment AAC Aviation Battlegroup in Iraq, 2003
Chapter 7 Phoenix During the Invasion of Iraq, 2003
Chapter 8 Lynx over Iraq – Operation Telic, 2003 to 2009
Chapter 9 British Army UAVs against Iraq Insurgency, 2003 to 2009
Chapter 10 Into Afghanistan – Operation Herrick, 2006 to 2007
Chapter 11 Army UAVs over Helmand
Chapter 12 Army Air in 2012
Chapter 13 AH Force
Chapter 14 Lynx Force
Chapter 15 Keeping the AAC Flying
Chapter 16 The Training Pipeline
Chapter 17 The Future of British Army Airpower
Postscript – Apache Strike

Glossary
This book is dedicated to
Fergus and Joseph Ripley –
aspiring helicopter pilots for the
twenty-first century
Notes
For ease of recognition the place names used throughout are those in
general usage in the international media. Many locations in the
Balkans, Middle East and Afghanistan have multiple spellings in local
languages so confusion often arises.
The ranks attributed to individuals throughout this book are those that
were contemporary to the period under discussion, even though many
have subsequently been promoted.
Acknowledgements
With thanks to:
This book has only been possible thanks to the help of scores of members
of the Army Air Corps, Royal Artillery and other branches of the British
Armed Forces who have recounted their experiences or provided
assistance to the author on his numerous visits to operational theatres.
Many are named below but many others asked to remain anonymous.
They know who they are – many thanks to you all. Any mistakes are
mine alone.

Bosnia 1995: Major Nick Caplin AAC, 664 Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel
John Greenhalgh, 3 Regiment AAC

Kosovo 1999: Major Richard Leakey 659 Squadron AAC, Major Rupert
Hibbert AAC HQ KFOR, the 22nd Battery Royal Artillery team

Exercise Eagle Strike 2000, 16 Brigade: Brigadier Peter Wall

Kosovo 2000/2001: 22nd and 57th Battery Royal Artillery, 654
Squadron AAC Pristina Detachment

Iraq 2003: Colonel George Butler AAC, 3 Regiment AAC, Captain J
Crook, KORBR, 16 Air Assault Brigade, Commander Brian Meakin RN,
849 NAS

Exercise Eagle Strike 2005: Lieutenant Colonel Richard Felton AAC, 9
Regt AAC

Afghanistan 2006, UK TF: Brigadier Ed Butler, Lieutenant Colonel David
Reynolds PARA

Exercise Lightening Force 2009:
664 Squadron AAC Captain Rob Gittoes AAC, SSGT Barker AAC, WO2
Craig People REME

AMTAT Colonel Yoni Griffiths Major Alex Godfrey AAC, Captain Charlie
Hillman

32 Regiment RA: Lieutenant Colonel Sebastian Heath and his team

9 Regiment AAC 2010: Major Al Stocker AAC, Major Jeremy Fountain,
RCAF, Captain Tom Roberts AAC, AQMS Will Watchorn, REME

JHC: Major General Gary Coward AAC

HQ Director Army Aviation: Colonel Paul Beaver AAC

MOD DCC: Lieutenant Colonel Neil Sexton AAC, Squadron Leader Al
Green, Lieutenant Colonel John Boyd PARA