5th Aviation Regiment (Australia)

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Australian 5th Aviation Regiment
A S-70 Blackhawk and a CH-47 Chinook from the 5th Aviation Regiment operating from a United States Navy ship during an exercise in 2005
Active	1988 - present
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Aviation
Role	Transport
Part of	16th (Aviation) Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Townsville
Aircraft flown
Transport	S-70A Blackhawk UH-1 Iroquois CH-47 Chinook

The Australian 5th Aviation Regiment is an Australian Army aviation unit. The Regiment is based at Townsville and operates the majority of the Army's transport helicopters. The Regiment currently forms part of the 16th (Aviation) Brigade.

[edit] History

The 5th Aviation Regiment was formed at Townsville on 18 January 1988 to operate the S-70A Blackhawk and UH-1 Iroquois helicopters which had previously been operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. In 1989 No. 9 Squadron (S-70A) became the Regiment's 'A' Squadron and No. 35 Squadron (UH-1) 'B' Squadron. 'B' Squadron was later re-equipped with Blackhawks.

The Regiment was expanded in 1995 when 'C' Squadron was formed to operate CH-47 Chinook and UH-1 Iroquois helicopters (the later in the fire support role). The fire support Iroquois helicopters were transferred to the 1st Aviation Regiment in 1998.

In late 2003 'A' Squadron and the UH-1 equipped 171st Squadron swapped designations, with the former 'A' Squadron becoming an independent squadron supporting Special Operations Command (Australia). The 'new' (UH-1 equipped) 'A' Squadron will be re-equipped with 12 MRH-90 medium helicopters which are currently on order. 'B' Squadron will also be equipped with these aircraft by 2015.

Since its formation elements of the Regiment have made operational deployments to Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Iraq, Indonesia and Pakistan. A detachment of two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in late March 2006. Eight Blackhawks were deployed to East Timor in May 2006 as part of Operation Astute.