Joint Helicopter Command
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP | Joint Helicopter Command | |
|---|---|
 Joint Helicopter Command badge | |
| Active | 1999–present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Branch |  Naval Service British Army Royal Air Force |
| Type | Tri-service command |
| Role | Battlefield helicopter operations |
| Size | 15,000 personnel 239 helicopters |
| Garrison/HQ | Army Headquarters, Marlborough Lines, Andover, Hampshire |
| Motto(s) | Across all boundaries |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Rear Admiral Jonathan Pentreath[1] |
| Ceremonial chief | Queen Elizabeth II |
Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of the British Armed Forces for command and coordination purposes. Joint Helicopter Command reports to Army Headquarters at Andover.
Contents
1 History
2 Organisation
2.1 Former Deployments: Joint Helicopter Force (Iraq)
2.2 Former Deployments: Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan)
2.3 Joint Helicopter Force (Northern Ireland)
2.4 Joint Helicopter Force (US)
3 Senior Commanders
4 References
4.1 Citations
4.2 Bibliography
5 External links
History
Joint Helicopter Command was formed on 5 October 1999, from a recommendation in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review to consolidate the battlefield helicopters of the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy under a single command.[2]
Joint Helicopter Command's largest operation to date has been Operation Telic, the invasion of Iraq. Following the invasion, Joint Helicopter Command maintained units in Iraq, in support of British and coalition forces deployed there.[3] Another detachment was also maintained in Afghanistan, as part of Operation Herrick.[4]
Organisation
The majority of the United Kingdom's military helicopters come under JHC, although exceptions include the Royal Navy's fleet helicopters, the Defence Helicopter Flying School, and the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force's search and rescue helicopters.
An overview of formations from each service under Joint Helicopter Command:
Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm
Commando Helicopter Force in Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton
845 Naval Air Squadron with Merlin HC3/HC3A helicopters
846 Naval Air Squadron with Merlin HC3/HC3A helicopters
847 Naval Air Squadron with Wildcat AH1 helicopters
British Army units
1 Regiment Army Air Corps in Yeovilton with Wildcat AH1 helicopters
2 Regiment Army Air Corps (Ground Crew Training) in Middle Wallop
3 Regiment Army Air Corps in Wattisham with Apache AH1 attack helicopters
4 Regiment Army Air Corps in Wattisham with Apache AH1 attack helicopters
5 Regiment Army Air Corps in Belfast with Westland Lynx and Westland Gazelle helicopters
6 Regiment Army Air Corps in Bury St Edmunds (Army Reserve)- 7 Regiment Army Air Corps (Flight Crew Training) in Middle Wallop
47th Regiment Royal Artillery in Larkhill with Watchkeeper WK450 unmanned aerial vehicles
Royal Air Force
No. 7 Squadron in RAF Odiham with Chinook helicopters
No. 18 Squadron in RAF Odiham with Chinook helicopters
No. 27 Squadron in RAF Odiham with Chinook helicopters
No. 28 Squadron (Support Helicopter Operational Conversion Unit) in RAF Benson with Chinook HC4 and Puma HC2 helicopters
No. 33 Squadron in RAF Benson with Puma HC2 helicopters
No. 230 Squadron in RAF Benson with Puma HC2 helicopters
Former Deployments: Joint Helicopter Force (Iraq)
When deployed on a major operational deployment the aircraft and supporting assets are assigned to a Joint Helicopter Force, for example Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan.
The following types were deployed to Iraq under JHF (I):[5]
Boeing Chinook HC2s.[5]
Westland Sea King HC4s.[5]
Westland Lynx AH7[5]/AH9s.[6]
Westland Gazelle AH1s.[5]
Westland Puma HC1s.[7]
Westland Merlin HC3s.[8]
Former Deployments: Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan)
The following types were deployed to Afghanistan under JHF (A):
AgustaWestland Apache AH1s.[9]
Boeing Chinook[10] HC2s.
Westland Lynx AH7,[9] AH9 & AH9As.
Westland Merlin[10] HC3s.
Westland Puma HC1s.
Westland Sea King HC4+ from November 2007[9] & ASaC7s
Joint Helicopter Force (Northern Ireland)
The following types are deployed in Northern Ireland based at JHFS Aldergrove as JHF (NI), in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and military units.
Britten-Norman Defender (fixed wing)- Westland Gazelle
Joint Helicopter Force (US)
A number of aircraft and aircrews trained at Naval Air Facility El Centro for pre-deployment and desert training.
Senior Commanders
JHC is commanded by a two-star officer from either the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.[11]
Commander Joint Helicopter Command has been held by:
- 1999 - 2002 Air Vice-Marshal David Niven
- 2002 - 2005 Air Vice-Marshal Paul Luker
- 2005 - 2008 Major General Gary Coward
- 2008 - 2011 Rear Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt
- 2011 - 2014 Air Vice-Marshal Carl Dixon
- 2014 - 2017 Major General Richard Felton
- 2017–Present Rear Admiral Jonathan Pentreath
References
Citations
^ "A New Commanding Officer at the helm". Royal Navy. Retrieved 30 December 2017..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Strategic Defence Review" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. 1 July 1998. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
^ Ripley, Tim (2004). "Air War Iraq". Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1844150694.
^ "Rare insight into the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force". 21 February 2016.
^ abcde "Operation Telic 2" (PDF). Operation Telic. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Operation Telic 9" (PDF). Operation Telic. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Operation Telic 3" (PDF). Operation Telic. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Operation Telic 6" (PDF). Operation Telic. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ abc March 2008, p. 8.
^ ab "Operation HERRICK, Afghanistan". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
^ "Senior tri-service and Ministry of Defence Posts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
Bibliography
March, P (2008). The Royal Air Force Yearbook 2008. Fairford, UK: The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises.
External links
- Official website
- Joint Helicopter Command - British Army
- Joint Helicopter Command - Royal Navy