German Army Aviation Corps

The German Army Aviation CorpsMilitärisches Studienglossar Englisch – Teil II/III, p. 185 () is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (Heer), containing all its helicopter units. The German Air Force and the German Navy both also have their own helicopter units.

Identification The coat of arms of the German Army Aviation Corps depicts a red eagle, swooping down whilst carrying a sword in its claws. Members of the Army Aviation Corps wear a burgundy-coloured beret. The badge on the beret is a wing, crossed vertically by a sword, surrounded by oak leaves. The Waffenfarbe of the German Army Aviation Corps ( a means the German military uses to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services) is silver-grey. The epaulettes of members of the German Army Aviation corps are lined in silver-grey. The gorget patches are held in the same color with two vertical cords. The sleeves of the uniforms display the flying wings, emphasising their main task.

Tasks The main tasks of the Army Aviation Corps are: support of own troops through anti-tank warfare. transport, both internally and externally, of personnel and material. reconnaissance in combination with other units. liaison between different units disaster relief, e.g. forest fires, floods etc.

Due to their manifold tasks, the German Army Aviation Corps cannot be classified as having any of the classic tasks of army units, namely leading and supporting the leadership, fighting and supporting the fighting force.

Most units of the Army Aviation Corps are incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division (Division Luftbewegliche Operationen). This division was founded on 1 July 2002 and became operational on 8 October 2002.

History

After the foundation of the Bundeswehr in 1955, the first head of the department of the German Army Aviation Corps, Colonel Horst Pape, was appointed on 7 November 1956. During the next ten years, a great number of bases all over the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany were founded.

In the first instance, all the equipment was acquired from allied nations. However, from the late 1960s onwards, more emphasis was put on developing new technology with other European partners. Until 1990, the German Army Aviation Corps was restricted to see active service only during aid mission within Germany and NATO countries.

Since the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany with the German Democratic Republic in 1990, there have been several rounds of re-organizations within the Bundeswehr, also affecting the German Army Aviation Corps. A number of bases were closed down, and their units either dissolved or merged with other units. In 2002, most remaining units of the German Army Aviation Corps were incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division (Division Luftbewegliche Operationen) .

Furthermore, the role of the German Army Aviation Corps changed as well. Since the mid-1990s, it has been increasingly deployed in a support role in several countries for as varying bodies as the United Nations, NATO and the EU, first in Iraq after the 1st Gulf War, then on the Balkans with IFOR, KFOR, SFOR and EUFOR, and most recently in Afghanistan as part of ISAF and most recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of EUFOR RD Congo to support the UN mission MONUC to monitor the general elections in 2006. This mission began in June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.

In October 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, the strength of Germany Army Aviation Corps was reduced. Flying operations at a number of air bases ceased and the respective units were dissolved. Other units were transferred to the German Air Force.Quoted from , PDF-file "Die Stationierung der Bundeswehr in Deutschland", passim

Since 2020 the German Army Aviation Corpse consists of one brigade level unit called Helicopter Command. This Brigade belongs to the Rapid Forces Division and is made up of three regiments, one school, brigade staff HQ and central support and maintenance center.

Equipment Fleet

Model Image Origin Role Quantity Notes Combat helicopter Eurocopter EC665 Tiger UHT Attack helicopter 51 From the 68 delivered, 51 are in active service.Among the remaining 17 helicopters:

15 used as a spare parts reserve. 2 were lost, one in Mali in July 2017 (74+29), one in Germany in March 2013(74+27). Airbus H145M LKHLeichter Kampfhubschrauber Multirole attack helicopter / training helicopter 0(+ 72 on order) 72 H145M LKH ordered by the German Army, they are planned to be split the following way:

39 for an active combat role 33 for a training / professionalisation role.Detail of the orders 62 ordered with an option for 20 helicopters in December 2023. 57 for the German Army 5 for the KSK (under the German Air Force) 20 ordered in December 2025: 15 for the German Army 5 for the KSK (under the German Air Force)

The first delivery to the air force was made in 2026, with a first batch of two aircraft, none for the Army yet. Transport and utility helicopters NH90 TGEATTH German Army Utility helicopter 40 NH90 TGEETTH German Enhanced Utility helicopter 42 Based on TGEA variant, with added systems:

Emergency ditching system 2 additional decoy magazines for the self-protection system (6 instead of 4) 5th multifunctional display Airbus H145 LUH SARLight utility helicopter, search and rescue Search and rescue 8 The H145 LUH SAR replaced the UH-1 Iroquois in the same role.The deliveries took place from 2019 to 2021 Training aircraft Airbus H135EC 135T1 variant Training helicopter 14 14 in service since 2000. Airbus H135 Training helicopter 5 Rented from Airbus and ADAC since 2018.To be replaced by the newly acquired H145M.

Aircraft weapons

Model Image Origin Type Used with Quantity Notes Missiles ATASAir-to-air Stinger Air-to-air missile EC665 Tiger UHT – Missile used with the EC665 Tiger, operated on 2-missile pods. MBDA PARS 3LRPanzerabwehr-Raketensystem der dritten Generation mit langer Reichweite ATGMAnti-tank guided missile EC665 Tiger UHT 680 Missile developed for the EC665 Tiger, operated on 4-missile pods.680 missiles purchased by the German Army.Range: > Euromissile HOT-3 ATGMAnti-tank guided missile EC665 Tiger UHT – Missile used with the EC665 Tiger, operated on 4-missile pods. Rockets FZ71, Fz181, FZ122, FZ149 Unguided helicopter rocketa (70 mm) EC665 Tiger UHT /H145M LKH – Rocket manufactured by Rheinmetall, in collaboration with Thales Belgium, Contract in 2022 for 7'620 rockets for €19.92 million.a a a Rocket pods:

7×70mm (FZ233/FZ220) 12×70mm (FZ231/FZ219) 19×70mm (FZ225/FZ207) Cannons and machine guns FN M3P BrowningSch MG M3P Gun pod(12.7×99mm NATO) EC665 Tiger UHT – The pod contains 400 cartridges. POD NC 621 Cannon pod(20×102 mm) Airbus H145M LKH – FN M3M Mk3 Side-door machine gun(12.7×99mm NATO) NH90 TTH 50 50 machine guns ordered by the Bundeswehr for the NH90 in 2020, delivered in 2021-22. Heckler & Koch 121MG5A2 Side-door machine gun(7.62×51mm NATO) NH90 TTH –

Units Currently active regiments as part of Helicopter Command:

Name of unit Flying Based at Insignia Note Transport Helicopter Regiment 10 Lüneburger Heide NH90 Faßberg Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 Tauberfranken NH90 H145 Niederstetten Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 Kurhessen Eurocopter Tiger Fritzlar

The following units were subordinate to Airmobile Operations Division, the division's headquarters being in Veitshöchheim:

Name of unit Flying Based at Insignia Note Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 Münsterland Sikorsky CH-53G/GS Rheine Disbanded Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 25 Oberschwaben Sikorsky CH-53G/GS Laupheim Transferred to German Air Force Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 Tauberfranken NH90 H145 Niederstetten

The following units were part of Airmobile Brigade 1 of Airmobile Operations Division. The division's headquarters was in Fritzlar:

Name of unit Flying Based at Insignia Note Light Transport Helicopter Regiment 10 Lüneburger Heide NH90 Faßberg Attack Helicopter Regiment 26 Franken MBB Bo 105P Roth Disbanded 30 June 2014 Attack Helicopter Regiment 36 Kurhessen Eurocopter Tiger Fritzlar

The following unit was not part of the Airmobile Operations Division but part of Air Transport Wing 62:

Name of unit Flying Based at Insignia Note Army Aviation Support Squadron 1 Bell UH-1D Holzdorf Disbanded 31 December 2013

The following units operated independently:

Name of unit Flying Based at Insignia Note Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 Celle Disbanded Army Aviation Squadron 109 Celle Disbanded Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 109 MBB Bo 105M Celle Disbanded

The following units are or were part of the Army Aviation School. The school's headquarters is in Bückeburg:

Name of unit Based at Insignia Note Instruction Group A (flying instruction) Bückeburg Instruction Group B (non-flying instruction) Bückeburg Training Centre C (flying instruction)Celle To be disbanded Army Aviation Test Squadron 910 Bückeburg Disbanded on 31 December 2008 Research And Development Group Bückeburg Technical Maintenance Department Bückeburg Franco-German Training Centre Le Luc (France)

See also History of the Army Aviation Corps (Germany) Army aviation

References

German Army Aviation Corps

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