3 Regiment AAC

3 Regiment Army Air Corps (3 Regt AAC) is located at Wattisham, Suffolk and is a unit of 16 Air Assault Brigade. It is currently equipped with the Apache attack helicopter.

3 Regt AAC comprises:
653 Squadron Army Air Corps
662 Squadron Army Air Corps
663 Squadron Army Air Corps

3 Regt AAC formed up on 24 October 1969 as 3 Division Aviation Regiment.

The regiment then comprised 653 Aviation Squadron located at Netheravon, 664 Aviation Squadron located at Farnborough, 665 Aviation Squadron located at Colchester and 666 Aviation Squadron located at Plymouth. The regiment also included 2 Aviation Flight at Perham Down.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s the regiment was reformed in Germany and the squadrons were re-numbered 653, 662 and 663 Squadron Army Air Corps respectively. The regiment supported 3 (UK) Armoured Division in the British Army of the Rhine until late 1992.

At the beginning of 1993 the regiment moved back to the United Kingdom (UK) into the recently vacated Royal Air Force Station Wattisham. The regiment's role in the UK was to provide aviation support to 24 Airmobile Brigade, until 1999. Since then 3 Regt AAC has been part of 16 Air Assault Brigade which was formed by an amalgamation of elements of 5 Airborne Brigade and 24 Airmobile Brigade, bringing together the agility and reach of airborne forces with the potency of the attack helicopter.

3 Regt AAC was part of the coalition forces that took part in Operation Telic (Iraq) during 2003.

More recently members of 662 Squadron returned from a four month deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in January 2013. They were presented with their Operational Service MedalsPrince Charles, Colonel in Chief, Army Air Corps, presented personnel with Operational Service Medals at a parade at Wattisham Flying Station on 9 May 2013.

Source MoD