Joint Helicopter Command

6 Regiment Army Air Corps conduct Under Slung Load training with a Wildcat Helicopter

Over the years, the grouping of all battlefield support helicopters operated by the Fleet Air Arm, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force into one of the services had been discussed, however the Ministry of Defence (MOD) believed that any advantages would be outweighed by the damaging impact such a re-organisation would have on ethos, morale and operational effectiveness.[2]

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR), published by the MOD in July 1998, announced that a Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) would be formed, which would deliver training, standards, doctrinal development and support for operations in order to maximise the availability of battlefield helicopters and reinforce their growing importance in military operations. JHC would be a tri-Service organisation, with personnel remaining part of their parent service.[3] The formation of JHC was considered by the MOD as one of the most important initiatives to result from the SDR.[4] The command was expected to draw on the equipment, personnel and expertise of the single services and be charged with providing the Joint Force Commander tailored packages of battlefield helicopters (from one or more service), support equipment and personnel, to meet operational requirements. The MOD's intention was to provide a single focus for the transfer of best practice from service to service and for removing, over time, differences in extant operating procedures.[2]

A Joint Helicopter Command Study Team was established to determine how JHC should operate. Four options for the location of JHC Headquarters were also examined, with RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, AAC Netheravon in Wiltshire, HQ Land Command at Erskine Barracks in Wiltshire and RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, being considered for the role.[3]

A Chinook helicopter delivers Wolf Scout Land Rovers

Joint Helicopter Command was formed on 5 October 1999, bringing together the Navy's commando helicopters, the Army's attack and light utility helicopters, and the RAF's support helicopters.[5] The Royal Navy's anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning helicopters, and RN and RAF search and rescue helicopters, were not included in JHC and remained under the control of the respective services.[3] JHC Headquarters was established alongside HQ Land Command at Erskine Barracks, with Air-Vice Marshal David Niven being the inaugural commander.[6][7]

In 2007, JHC had over 15,000 personnel under its command, some 8,000 of who were part of 16 Air Assault Brigade This included over 900 volunteer reserves from the Territorial Army and Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and 380 MOD civilians.[8]

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.[9] Another detachment was also maintained in Afghanistan, as part of Operation Herrick.[10]

Air-Vice Marshal Nigel Colman became commander of Joint Helicopter Command in March 2020. JHC is part of Army Headquarters and has its headquarters at the British Army's Marlborough Lines, Andover in Hampshire.[11]

Since 2009, the US Navy station Naval Air Facility El Centro (NAFEC) in California has been home to Joint Helicopter Force (US), an element of JHC which provides pre-deployment and desert environmental qualification training. The deserts of Southern California have temperatures and terrain closely resembling those of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, where British helicopters have been on operational duty in recent years.[12]

The JHC operation in Northern Ireland in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and military units as part of Operation Banner and later Operation Helvetic was named the Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland (JHF(NI)). JHF(NI) consisted of the following units based at JHC Flying Station Aldergrove:[13]

• 5 Regiment[14][15]
  • No. 655 Squadron – Westland Lynx AH1
  • No. 665 Squadron – Gazelle AH1
  • Reconnaissance, Intelligence and Geographic Centre (Northern Ireland)
• No. 230 Squadron – Westland Puma HC1

The JHC operation in Iraq as part of Operation Telic was named Joint Helicopter Force Iraq (JHF(I)).[16]

The following aircraft types served with JHF(I):

Puma 2 from RAF Benson

• Boeing Chinook HC2s.[17]
• Westland Sea King HC4s.[17]
• Westland Lynx AH7[17]/AH9s.[18]
• Westland Gazelle AH1s.[17]
• Westland Puma HC1s.[19]
• Westland Merlin HC3s.[20]

The JHC operation in Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick was named Joint Helicopter Force Afghanistan (JHF(A)).[21]

The following aircraft types served with JHF(A):

AgustaWestland Apache helicopter firing rockets in Afghanistan

• AgustaWestland Apache AH1s.[22]
• Boeing Chinook[23] HC2s.
• Westland Lynx AH7,[22] AH9 & AH9As.
• Westland Merlin[23] HC3s.
• Westland Puma HC1s.
• Westland Sea King HC4+ from November 2007[22] & ASaC7s

Fleet Air Arm

• Commando Helicopter Force (RNAS Yeovilton)
  • 845 Naval Air Squadron – Merlin HC4/3A
  • 846 Naval Air Squadron – Merlin HC4/i3
  • 847 Naval Air Squadron – Wildcat AH1

Army Air Corps

• Army Aviation Centre (AACen) (Middle Wallop)
  • 2 (Training) Regiment – Ground crew training
    • No. 668 (Training) Squadron
    • No. 676 Squadron
  • 7 (Training) Regiment – Flight crew training
    • No. 670 Squadron
    • No. 671 Squadron – Gazelle AH1 and Bell 212
    • No. 673 Squadron – Apache AH1

Royal Artillery

• 47th Regiment Royal Artillery (Horne Barracks, Larkhill)
  • 10 (Assaye) Battery – Watchkeeper WK450
  • 31 (Headquarters) Battery
  • 43 Battery (Lloyd's Company) – Watchkeeper WK450
  • 74 Battery (The Battle Axe Company) – Watchkeeper WK450

• 1st Aviation Brigade[30][31][32]
  • 1 Regiment (RNAS Yeovilton)
    • No. 652 Squadron – Wildcat AH1
    • No. 659 Squadron – Wildcat AH1
    • No. 661 Squadron – Wildcat AH1
  • 5 Regiment (JHFS Aldergrove)
    • No. 665 Squadron – Gazelle AH1
  • 3 Regiment (Wattisham Airfield)
    • No. 653 Squadron – Apache AH1
    • No. 662 Squadron – Apache AH1
    • No. 663 Squadron – Apache AH1
  • 4 Regiment (Wattisham Airfield)
    • No. 656 Squadron – Apache AH1
    • No. 664 Squadron – Apache AH1
  • 6 Regiment (Blenheim Camp, Bury St Edmunds)
    • No. 675 (The Rifles) Squadron
    • No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron
    • No. 678 (The Rifles) Squadron
    • No. 679 (The Duke of Connaught's) Squadron
  • 7th Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) (Wattisham Airfield)

• Support Helicopter Force
  • No. 7 Squadron (RAF Odiham) – Chinook
  • No. 18 Squadron (RAF Odiham) – Chinook
  • No. 22 Squadron (JHC Operational Evaluation Unit) (RAF Benson)[33]
  • No. 27 Squadron (RAF Odiham) – Chinook
  • No. 28 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit) (RAF Benson) – Chinook HC4 and Puma HC2
  • No. 33 Squadron (RAF Benson) – Puma HC2
  • No. 230 Squadron (RAF Benson) – Puma HC2
  • Joint Helicopter Support Squadron (RAF Benson)
  • Tactical Supply Wing (MOD Stafford)

• March, P (2008). The Royal Air Force Yearbook 2008. Fairford, UK: The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises.
•  This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence v3.0: Ministry of Defence (July 1998). Strategic Defence Review (PDF) (Report). London: Stationery Office. OCLC 606985144. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2019.