Commando Helicopter Force

Encyclopedia : C : CO : COM : Commando Helicopter Force

The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) is a component of the British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The CHF uses a combination of attack and transport helicopters mainly to support deployments of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines; but also supports Special Forces and other units of the British Armed Forces. The CHF is also part of the new British tri-service Joint Helicopter Command.

Contents

1 History
2 Organisation
3 Recruitment and Selection
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

History

The Commando Helicopter Force was formed in 1997 to encompass several Fleet Air Arm helicopter squadrons that assisted 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It is based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in England, although the CHF also operates on the helicopter carrier, HMS Ocean and the two amphibious support ships, HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion.

In 1999, The CHF became the Royal Navy contribution to the new tri-service Joint Helicopter Command.

Since 1997, elements of the CHF have served in Northern Ireland to 2002, Sierra Leone in 2000 and Bosnia. In 2003, the CHF was part of the British contingent in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, notably helping Royal Marines secure the Al Faw Peninsula from aboard HMS Ocean.

In 2005, the Gazelle reconnaissance helicopter was retired from service in the CHF.

Organisation

The Commando Helicopter Force has four naval air squadrons with separate roles:

No. 845 Squadron FAA|No. 845 Squadron.....Medium-lift - Sea King HC4
No. 846 Squadron FAA|No. 846 Squadron.....Medium-lift - Sea King HC4
No. 847 Squadron FAA|No. 847 Squadron.....Light-lift, anti-armour and reconnaissance - Lynx AH7
No. 848 Squadron FAA|No. 848 Squadron.....Sea King HC4 training unit

The personnel of the CHF are drawn from both the Royal Marines and the rest of the Royal Navy.

845 Naval Air Squadron operates the Westland HC Mk.4 Sea King helicopter; a variant that has been specially modified for medium-lift and flying in all sorts of weather conditions and terrains. 845 has had at least two of it Sea Kings deployed to the Bosnian theatre since 1992. Besides Bosnia, they have operated in Albania, Egypt, Honduras, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

846 Squadron operates the same aircraft as 845 but has not seen action in Bosnia, being more focused on the Northern flank of the Nato theatre. Until recently 846 maintained a base in Northern Ireland that allowed it to become very proficient in cold weather and winter operations. Their operations are not limited to northern flying conditions, however. 846 Squadron has also operated in South East Asia, Australia, The United States, and Germany. Two Aircraft of 846 were sent to Turkey following the major earthquake it suffered in November of 1999.

847 Squadron operates Army-owned Westland Lynx AH7 helicopters, flown by Royal Navy and Royal Marines pilots . It is possible that the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force will also replace the Lynx in the anti-armour role with the Apache AH Mk1 (WAH-64 Apache Longbow). However no other helicopter can match the Lynx for light assault during combat situations.

The Lynx AH.7 can also be outfitted for the anti-armour role, with the attachment of 2 pylons each carrying 4 TOW anti-Tank missiles.

In the light assault role, it can also carry an Aircrewman armed with a cabin door machinegun and Marines for fastrope or rappelling insertions or regular landings.

848 Squadron is the Commando Sea King HC4 training squadron for the group, and trains not only the aircrews but also the ground crews. In addition to the skills necessary to fly their missions, Commando Helicopter Force members are trained in small-arms weapons as well as tactics and survival fieldcraft. Being a naval unit that is directly tasked with supporting the Royal Marines, trainees are also schooled in shipboard and amphibious assault operations. A special unit with 848 Squadron, M Flight, is tasked with supporting the Special Boat Service(SBS) in their operations.

Recruitment and Selection

The squadrons are staffed by pilots from all services, and many of the new air crew are recruited from the Royal Marines. With the creation of the Joint Helicopter Command this trend is expected to increase, with many of the pilots now coming from the Joint DHFS (Defence Helicopter Flying School) at RAF Shawbury. In addition, the force will begin to take on new missions as its roles and abilities are better known throughout the armed forces and are more accessible via the Joint Helicopter Command. These abilities are spread out amongst the group, with different squadrons having different taskings and specialities. 845 and 846 Squadrons are the medium-lift groups and 847 naval air squadron provides light-lift, anti-armour and reconnaissance while 848 is the Commando Sea King training unit.

References

External links