#1st Army Aviation Support Battalion

[armyaviaton]

Ο ΑΓ. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΣΤΑ ΑΕΡΟΔΡΟΜΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΕΡ. ΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ. 2022

Ο ΑΓ. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΣΤΑ ΑΕΡΟΔΡΟΜΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΕΡ. ΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ. 2022

[67-romeo]

An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior from C Company BLUE MAX, 1st Attack/Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Phoenix, taxis into the Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, September 10, 2013. The OH-58D is the U. S. Army’s premier scout and reconnaissance aircraft and is capable of providing direct fire support to troops on the ground. (Photo by Capt. Pete Smedberg, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs)

[davidshawnsown]

Ukrainian 1st Mot Inf Div UGF

Part of VII Army Corps UGF

(This is inspired by Battle Order's video on the experimental Soviet Army light infantry division of 1987 which was trained and formed in Ukraine.)

Raised as part of Westernization and expansion of the UGF in 2023-24, the 1st Mot Inf Div of VII Corps/OC North - one of a number of new divisions being activated along the revival of historic units - will soon be added with its planned light cavalry regiment to its ORBAT later due to NATO and Polish and US influence as part of the force's efforts to defend the nation. As of present just one armored cavalry element is present - the armored cav kurin assigned with the 1st Light Armored BCT.

It is organized into three motorized brigades, one mechanized brigade, one light armored brigade, one field artillery brigade, one air defense artillery brigade, a combat engineer regiment, an army aviation regiment using Western helicopters, support elements, a depot regiment and directly reporting formations including one rifle (Jaeger) infantry regiment and one tank destroyer regiment.

Its motorized brigades are armed with Novators, Humvees and JLTVs alongside a company each of truck-mounted infantry with its artillery battalions armed with the Humvee Hawkeye - an experimental SPG mounted on Humvee chassis, and M10 Bookers in the armored battalions. Their air defense battalions are a mix of towed and wheeled SPAGGs like the Viktor, which is the same systems used by the air defense brigade under divisional command.

However the main mechanized element - the 19th BCT - has a mix of wheeled and tracked infanty carriers in its mechanized infantry regiments and with the same vehicles of the motorized brigades in its motorized and rifle infantry regiments. The 19th Armored Regt operates mainly the T-64 and M48 Pattons as well as a company of Leopard 1s.

103rd FA Brigade operates 3 battalions of towed guns, an administrative regiment of two SPG battalions, each wheeled and tracked, and one MLRS battalion alongside a strike UAV battery under its command.

@lukeexplorer

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 30 of 2023

Title: To the Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam Authors: Tom A. Johnson ISBN: 9780451222183 Tags: AC-47 Spooky, B-52 Stratofortress, CH-47 Chinook, CH-54 Tarhe, EOD, LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), LAO Operation Commando Hunt (1968-1972) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), LAO Operation Shining Brass / Prairie Fire / Phu Dong (1965-1975) (Laotian Civil War) (Vietnam War), O-1 Bird Dog, OH-13 Sioux, OH-23 Raven, OV-1 Mohawk, Pathfinders, UH-1 Huey, US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, US USA 11th Aviation Group, US USA 11th Aviation Support Group, US USA 12th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 12th Cavalry Regiment - 2/12, US USA 15th Medical Det. - Mercy, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 1st Cavalry Division, US USA 1st Cavalry Division - 11th Pathfinder Co., US USA 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery Bn, US USA 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery Bn - 2/20 - Blue Max, US USA 227th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 227th Assault Helicopter Bn - C/227, US USA 228th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - A/229 - Bandit, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - A/229 - Python, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - B/229 - Preachers, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - D/229 - Smiling Tiger, US USA 229th Assault Helicopter Bn - D/229 - Tom Cat, US USA 478th Aviation Co, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment - 1/7 - C Troop, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment - 2/7, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8 - B Troop, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 1/8 - C Troop, US USA 8th Cavalry Regiment - 2/8, US USA 8th Engineer Bn, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9, US USA 9th Cavalry Regiment - 1/9 - C Troop, US USA Fort Polk LA, US USA Fort Rucker AL, US USA Fort Rucker AL - Hanchey Army Air Field, US USA Fort Wolters TX (1963-1973), US USA General Creighton Abrams, US USA General John "Jack" Norton, US USA General John Tolson, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USMC 3rd MarDiv, US USMC United States Marine Corps, US USN Construction Battalions (Seabees), US USN SEALS, US USN United States Navy, USA 5th SFG, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM A Louie Airstrip, VNM A Shau Valley, VNM An Khe, VNM An Lao Valley, VNM Ba To Airstrip, VNM Battle of Hue City (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Khe Sanh (1968) (Tet Offensive) (Vietnam War), VNM Bong Son, VNM Bong Son Pass, VNM Bong Son River, VNM Camp Evans (Vietnam War), VNM Camp Radcliff (Vietnam War), VNM Cay Giep Mountains, VNM Central Highlands, VNM Command and Control North/FOB-4 (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Dak To, VNM Dam Tra-O Lake, VNM Dia Dong, VNM Dong Ha, VNM DRV NVA 22nd Regiment, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division - 7th Bn, VNM DRV NVA 325C Division - 9th Bn, VNM DRV NVA 3rd Division, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Highway 1, VNM Highway 19, VNM Hill 450, VNM Hill 814 (LZ Peanuts) (Vietnam War), VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hon Kon (Hong Kong Mountain) / (Signal Mountain), VNM Hue, VNM Hue Phu Bai, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Bird (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Dog (Vietnam War), VNM LZ El Paso (Vietnam War), VNM LZ English (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Geronimo (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Laramie (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Pat (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Pepper (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sally (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sandra (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Sharon (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Signal Hill (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Stud (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Thor (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Tiger (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Tom (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Two Bits (Vietnam War), VNM LZ Vicki (Vietnam War), VNM Marble Mountain, VNM Nui Mot (The Rockpile), VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Delaware / Lam Son 216 (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Jeb Stuart (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Pegasus / Lam Son 207 (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Pershing (1967-1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Phan Rang Air Base, VNM Phu Cat Mountains, VNM Quang Tri, VNM Quang Tri Province, VNM Qui Nhon, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM Song Ba, VNM Song Chal Truc, VNM Song Re, VNM Song Re Valley, VNM Tam Quan, VNM US MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US UH-1 Huey Firefly Missions (Vietnam War), VNM US USAF Phu Cat Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC DHCB Dong Ha Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC KSCB Khe Sanh Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM US USMC MMAF Marble Mountain Air Facility, VNM US USMC QTCB Quang Tri Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★★ (4 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.US Army.Helos.Slicks, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Laotian Civil War.Aviation.Helos

Description: **The riveting memoir of a Vietnam War helicopter pilot. “When you step into a Huey with Tom Johnson, you’re in for the real thing. No one has previously captured the Vietnam helicopter experience with such gripping authority.”—Robert F. Dorr, author of Chopper   **   From June 1967 to June 1968, Tom Johnson accumulated an astonishing 1,600 flying hours piloting the UH-1 “Iroquois”—better known as the “Huey”—as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. Johnson’s riveting memoir takes us into key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. In harrowing detail, he tells of being shot down in the battle of A Shau Valley, of surviving enemy attacks during the Tet Offensive, and of a death-defying nighttime river rescue, in which only the bare feet of soldiers hanging off the Huey’s skids kept the helicopter from plunging under water. From dangerous missions to narrow escapes, Johnson’s memoir vividly captures the adrenaline rush and the horror of war, and takes you on a ride you’ll never forget.

[karagin22]

U.S. Navy aviation boatswain's mate (handling) coordinates the arrival and landing of U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopters on the USS Lewis B. Puller during a deck landing qualification training exercise in the Persian Gulf, Nov. 10, 2022. Air crews of two U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion, and two AH-64E Apache helicopters from 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, Attack Helicopter Battalion, attached to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, conducted deck landing qualifications to learn the operating procedures of the U.S. Navy. 36th CAB, mobilized as Task Force Mustang, currently supports the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve mission across the Middle East. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Tiffany Paruolo, 3-142nd AHB Public Affairs Representative)

[defensenow]

Formal Demobilization Ceremony Commemorates Oregon National Guard. Salem, Oregon – In a solemn ceremony held on January 19, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility, 27 members of the Oregon National Guard, belonging to Detachment 1, Company Alpha, 1st Battalion – 112th Aviation, were formally demobilized after a 12-month deployment along the US Southwest border.

[georgemcginn]

DOD Featured Photos

Dynamic Front Soldiers assigned to the Carnage Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct liv… Photo Details > Night Exercise Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armore… Photo Details > Look-See Army Pfc. Mathew O’Donnell, a joint fire support specialist, with headquarters and headquarters batt… Photo Details > View…

[freetheshit-outofyou]

ACH47 (64-13154) Birth Control,

 64-13154, Boeing build number B-126, was an ACH-47A helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 1 September 1965. The administrative strike date was 22 February 1968. 64-13154 accumulated 1,018.0 aircraft hours. 64-13154 was the fourth and final aircraft produced in the "Guns-A-Go-Go" series (64-13145, 64-13149, 64-13151, 64-13154). 64-13154 was nick named "Birth Control". 64-13154 was originally assigned to the Field Evaluation Detachment (Special) (CH-47) (Provisional), later to be re-designated the 53rd Aviation Detachment, Field Evaluation (Provisional), and then finally as the 1st Aviation Detachment (Provisional), and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division's 228th Aviation Support Helicopter Battalion (ASHB) at An Khe in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). 64-13154 was lost in combat near the Citadel at Hue, RVN. 64-13154 received ground fire from small arms and took several in-flight hits. 64-13154 lost aft transmission oil pressure. The aircraft landed north of Hue, where the crew removed guns from aircraft and took up a defensive position. Aircraft 64-13149 landed under constant enemy fire beside 64-13154 and took the 8 crew members aboard. On lift off, 3 crew members of 64-13149 and one crew member of 64-13154 were wounded. Later, while aircraft recovery operations were being prepared, 64-13154 sustained a direct mortar hit and blew up. The last known location of 64-13154 was in the Republic of Vietnam. Aircraft status: Shot down and destroyed. (Source #1) "on February 22nd, 1968, while participating in the big push to recapture Hue during the Tet Offensive, “BIRTH CONTROL” was hit while pulling up from a gun-run, and had to auto-rotate into the dry rice paddies about 600 meters NW of the Citadel walls. Under intense fire, “EASY MONEY” came in and positioned herself between “BIRTH CONTROL” and the oncoming enemy, suppressing fire while rescuing the downed crewmembers. As “EASY MONEY” was struggling to get airborne from all the extra weight, she received several hits which wounded some of the crewmembers near the back of the ship, but made it safely out to Camp Evans. Before an aircraft recovery could be attempted, the report came in that the NVA had walked mortars up to “BIRTH CONTROL,”completely destroying her where she sat." (Source #2)

[j-r-macready]

Florida National Guard by The National Guard Via Flickr: Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard’s Bravo Company, 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 185th Aviation Brigade provide aerial support to allied nations for joint parachute operations during Tradewinds 2021, Air Station London, Co-operative Republic of Guyana, June 20. U.S. Bravo Company joined the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group as they hosted parachute training for personnel with the Guyana Defence Force, Brazilian Marine Corps, Belize Coast Guard, and other participating allied representatives. Tradewinds 2021 is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored Caribbean security-focused exercise in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains, working with partner nations to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training focused on increasing regional cooperation and stability. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. N.W. Huertas)

[greatworldwar2]

• Hugo Sperrle

Hugo Sperrle was a German military aviator in World War I and a Generalfeldmarschall in the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Sperrle was born in the town of Ludwigsburg, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire on February 7th, 1885 the son of a brewery proprietor, Johannes Sperrle and his wife Luise Karoline, née Nägele. He joined the Imperial German Army on July 5th, 1903 as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet). Sperrle was assigned to the 8th Württemberg Infantry Regiment, a regiment in the Army of Württemberg, and after a year received his commission and promotion to Leutnant on October 28th, 1912. At the outbreak of World War I, Sperrle was training as an artillery spotter in the Luftstreitkräfte (German Army Air Service). On November 28th, 1914 Sperrle was promoted to Hauptmann. Sperrle did not distinguish himself in battle as his fellow staff officers in World War II had done, but he forged a solid record in the aerial reconnaissance field. Sperrle served first as an observer, then trained as a pilot with the 4th Field Flying Detachment (Feldfliegerabteilung) at the Kriegsakademie (War Academy). Sperrle went on to command the 42nd and 60th Field Flying Detachments, then led the 13th Field Flying Group. After suffering severe injuries in a crash, Sperrle moved to the air observer school at Cologne thereafter and when the war ended he was in command of flying units attached to the 7th Army.

After the war Sperrle joined the Freikorps and commanded an aviation detachment. He then joined the Reichswehr. Sperrle commanded units in Silesia including the Freiwilligen Fliegerabteilungen 412 under the leadership of Erhard Milch. Sperrle fought on the East Prussia border during the 1919 conflict with Poland. On December 1st, 1919, commander-in-chief of the German army, Hans von Seeckt issued a directive for the creation of 57 committees, encompassing all the military branches, to compile detailed studies of German war experiences. Helmuth Wilberg led the air service sector and Sperrle was one of 83 commanders ordered to assist. The air staff studies were conducted through 1920. Sperrle served on the air staff for Wehrkreis V in Stuttgart from 1919 to 1923, then the Defence Ministry until 1924. Sperrle then served on the staff of the 4th Infantry Division near Dresden. Sperrle travelled to Lipetsk in the Soviet Union at this time, where the Germans maintained a secret air base and founded the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. Sperrle purportedly visited the United Kingdom to observe Royal Air Force exercises. In 1927 Sperrle, at the rank of Major, replaced Wilberg as head of the air staff at the Waffenamt an Truppenamt (Weapons and Troop Office). Sperrle was selected for his expertise in technical matters; he was seen as highly qualified staff officer with combat experience in commanding the flying units of the 7th army during the war. Sperrle was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) in 1931 while commanding the 3rd battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment from 1929 to 1933. Sperrle ended his army career in command of the 8th Infantry Regiment, from October 1st, 1933 to April 1st, 1934. At the rank of Oberst (colonel), Sperrle was given command of the headquarters of the First Air Division (Fliegerdivision 1). Sperrle was given responsibility for coordinating army support aviation.

After Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party seized power, Hermann Göring created and Reich Air Ministry. Göring handed most of the squadrons in existence to Sperrle because of his command experiences. Sperrle was involved in the difficulties in German aircraft procurement. Four months after assuming command, Sperrle was rigorously critical of the Dornier Do 11 and Dornier Do 13 in a conference on July 18th, 1934. Five months later, with development failing, Sperrle met with Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, head of aircraft development and Luftkreis IV commander Alfred Keller, a wartime bomber pilot. It was decided Junkers Ju 52 production would be a stopgap, while the Dornier Do 23 reached units in the late summer, 1935. The awaited Junkers Ju 86 was scheduled for testing in November 1934 and the promising Heinkel He 111 in February 1935. On March 1st, 1935, Hermann Göring announced the existence of the Luftwaffe. Sperrle was transferred to the Reich Air Ministry. Sperrle was initially given command of Luftkreis II (Air District II), and then Luftkreis V in Münich upon his promotion to Generalmajor (Brigadier General) in October 1935. Sperrle remained in Germany until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. He commanded all German forces in Spain from November 1936 to November 1937. Sperrle was the first commander of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. Sperrle left Germany by air on October 31st, 1936 and arrived in Seville, via Rome on November 5th. Sperrle was sent a Kampfgruppe (bomber group—K/88), Jagdgruppe 88 (fighter group 88—J/88) and Aufklärungsstaffel (reconnaissance squadron—AS/88). They were supported by a Flak Abteilung (F/88) with three heavy and two light batteries with communications, transport and maintenance units. The Germans could not afford to fully equip the Legion, and so the air group made use of Spanish equipment. Of the 1,500 vehicles used, there were 100 types creating a maintenance nightmare.

After his experience leading the Condor Legion Sperrle was given command of Luftwaffe Group 3 on the February 1st, 1938 which eventually became Luftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) in February 1939. Sperrle commanded the air fleet for the remainder of his military career. Sperrle was used by Hitler in his foreign policy to intimidate small neighbours with the Luftwaffe, which had earned a reputation in Spain. On February 12th, 1938, Hitler invited Sperrle to a meeting at Berchtesgaden with Kurt Schuschnigg, chancellor of the Federal State of Austria. The meetings eventually helped pave the way for Anschluss, the Nazi seizure of Austria. In March 1939 Hitler decided to annex Czechoslovakia completely and risk war. He turned once again to the Luftwaffe to assist him achieving diplomatic results. The threat of aerial bombardment proved a crucial in forcing smaller nations to submit to German occupation. The successes confirmed Hitler's view that air power could be used politically, as a "terror weapon". Sperrle was asked by Hitler to talk about the Luftwaffe, to intimidate the Czech president. Hácha purportedly fainted, and when he regained consciousness, Göring screamed at him, "think of Prague!" The elderly President reluctantly ordered the Czechoslovakian Army not to resist. The aerial part of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia was carried out by 500–650 aircraft belonging to Sperrle's newly renamed air fleet, Luftflotte 3.

On September 1st, 1939, the Wehrmacht invaded Poland prompting the British Empire and France to declare war in her defence. Sperrle's Luftflotte 3 remained guarding German air space in western Germany and did not contribute to the German invasion, made possible by the non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. The air fleet's Order of battle had been stripped of almost all of the combat units it held in March 1939. Only two reconnaissance staffel (squadrons) and a single bomber unit attached to Wekusta 51 remained. Sperrle received the competent Major General Maximilian Ritter von Pohl as his chief of staff. The two men made for a "good partnership". Sperrle was also assigned Major General Walter Surén, appointed as the air fleet's chief signals officer. Surén planned and organised the German field communications for the offensive in 1940. While guarding the Western Front during the Phoney War, Sperrle's small fleet of 306 aircraft which included 33 obsolete Arado Ar 68s fought off probing attacks of French and British aircraft. Sperrle developed a reputation as gourmet, whose private transport aircraft featured a refrigerator to keep his wines cool, and although as corpulent as Göring, he was reliable and as ruthless as his superior. Sperrle wanted his air fleet to take a more aggressive stance and won over Göring. On September 13th, 1939 he was authorised to undertake long-range high altitude reconnaissance missions at extreme altitudes. Photographic operations over France authorised by the OKL began on September 21st, which the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht did not sanction until four days later.

Luftflotte 3 was heavily reinforced in the spring, 1940. Sperrle's headquarters was based at Bad Orb. The air fleet was assigned I. Flakkorps under Generaloberst Hubert Weise, I. Fliegerkorps under Generaloberst Ulrich Grauert at Cologne, the II. Fliegerkorps under Generaloberst Bruno Loerzer at Frankfurt, and V. Fliegerkorps under command of General Robert Ritter von Greim at Gersthofen. For the coming battle, Sperrle had 1,788 aircraft (1,272 operational) at his disposal. Opposing Sperrle, was the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) eastern (ZOAE) and southern (ZOAS) zones under Général de Corps d'armée Aérien René Bouscat and Robert Odic. Bouscat had 509 aircraft (363 operational) and Odic 165 (109 combat ready). Fall Gelb began on May 10th,1940. Sperrle's air fleet engaged in operations supporting Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt and Army Group A in the Battle of Belgium and Battle of France, as well as Army Group C. Sperrle's counter-air campaign started badly, reflecting poor photographic interpretation of targets, though he later claimed Luftflotte 3's operations were decisive in achieving air superiority. Sperrle's men claimed 240 to 490 aircraft destroyed, mostly "in hangars"—Allied losses were actually 40 first-line aircraft. Failing to neutralise Allied fighter units cost Sperrle 39 aircraft. Sperrle's air corps commanders targeted air interdiction operations and ordered, attacks on rail communications to prevent the westward deployment of the French Army from the Maginot Line and to pin down Allied reserves by disrupting communications across the Meuse. 26 French rail stations were bombed as were 86 localities from May 10th to 12th. During the breakthrough to the English Channel, rail networks were attacked to prevent Allied forces rallying. Sperrle and Kesselring objected to the halt order during the Battle of Dunkirk. Neither man believed the pocket could be reduced by air power alone. Gelb was complete, and the OKL prepared for Case Red. The Luftflotten were reorganised; Sperrle retained II. and V. Fliegerkorps along with I. Flakkorps. The flak corps was reorganised into two brigades, with four regiments each with the firepower of 72 batteries. Sperrle was required to strike far deeper into France, and was given the majority of Zerstörer (destroyer aircraft) equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 110.

In a prelude to the offensive, Sperrle planned to carry out strategic bombing operations against Paris. Sperrle had long-planned for air attacks on Paris using II., V. and VIII. Fliegerkorps in May. He was forced to abandon the plan on May 22nd because of weather, but the following day, the OKL prepared a plan for Operation Paula. The plan was to attack the estimated 1,000 French aircraft detected on Parisian airfields, but also to attack factories and destroy the morale of the French people. The operation was undone by poor staff work and excessive confidence in the Enigma machine. On June 5th Sperrle's forces flew eight bombing operations against railways and localities, 21 to 31 against road targets, 12 against troop columns and 34 to 42 against French Army defences or strongpoints. Sperrle was ordered to support Rundstedt advancing southward, with orders to encircle the Maginot Line, from the west. The campaign played out for a further five days, which came as Luftwaffe logistics were breaking down, fuel and ammunition shortages were acute and relied on air transportation. Sperrle attempted to prevent the British Operation Ariel a second evacuation but the only success was the sinking of Lancastria, with 5,800 lives lost. On June 20th arrangements were made for the Armistice of June 22nd, 1940. Upon learning of it, Sperrle ordered the abandonment of a planned bombing operation against Bordeaux. In July 1940 Winston Churchill's government rejected peace overtures from Hitler. Hitler resolved to knock Britain out of the war. The OKL began tentative planning for Operation Eagle Attack to destroy RAF Fighter Command to gain air superiority, before supporting an amphibious landing in Britain, codenamed, Operation Sea Lion.

Sperrle thought the RAF could be defeated en passant. His personal strategy to attack ports and merchant shipping was overruled by Göring, ostensibly because the ports would be required for the invasion. Kesselring's contemporary notes indicate he thought air superiority could only be attained for a short time, since most airfields and factories in Britain were out of range. Sperrle and Kesselring miscalculated, or were misled by intelligence, into underestimating the number of fighter aircraft available to Fighter Command. They put the RAF total at 450 aircraft when the real figure was 750. Chronic intelligence failures on British production, defence systems and aircraft performance inhibited the German air operation throughout the battle. The Luftwaffe regrouped after the Battle of France into three Luftflotten (Air Fleets) . Sperrle's first task against the British Isles was during the Kanalkampf (Channel Battle) phase of what became known as the Battle of Britain. The aim was to draw out Fighter Command into dogfights by attacking Channel Shipping. Targeting British convoy systems, in July 1940 Sperrle's air fleet claimed 90 vessels sunk for approximately 300,000 tons, a third of this was claimed over August and September. Two days before Operation Eagle scheduled for August 13th he had lost two Gruppenkommandeur and a Staffelkapitän. Sperrle knew he could not afford to lose experienced officers at such a rate. The emphasis of German air attacks switched to bombing Fighter Command bases and its infrastructure. On August 13th, 1940, Sperrle's air fleet played a role in the failed Unternehmen Adlerangriff ("Operation Eagle Attack"). On the August 14th, Sperrle began a smaller, prolonged, but widely scattered series of attacks on aerodromes and other targets in the western half of England. The attacks were not very effective and earned the Luftflotte a rebuke from Göring. At the beginning of September 1940, Sperrle could muster 350 serviceable bombers and dive-bombers and about 100 fighters, either for his own purposes or to support the 9th Army and, if necessary, the 6th Army in a landing. Sperrle lost Richthofen to Kesselring who took possession of some units in Normandy, and concentrated the available dive-bomber force near the Straits of Dover.

The bombing operations continued against Fighter Command into October 1940, but with gradually more emphasis placed on attacking industrial cities, primarily because it offered the only way to continue hostilities against Britain directly in the absence of invasion. The preference for night over day operations was evident in the number of bombing operations flown by the German air fleets. Sperrle had spent the last week of August and first week of September gearing up for large–scale night operations. Sperrle's air fleet assisted in the beginning of The Blitz which began in earnest on September 7th, 1940. This night approximately 250 aircraft dropped 300 tons of high explosive and 13,000 incendiaries on the centre of London. Sperrle's airmen flew 4,525 bombing operations in November 1940. In December 1940 Sperrle's air groups flew 2,750 bombing operations against British cities. In February 1941 bad weather limited Sperrle to 975 bombing operations. During the month of May Sperrle's men carried out the burden of night operations, flying 2,500 sorties. Approximately 40,000 British civilians had been killed, another 46,000 injured, and more than a million houses damaged during the Blitz. The German air fleets lost 600 German aircraft on night operations. In five months of bombing docks and ports in 1941, only some 70,000 tons of food stocks were destroyed, and only one half a percent of oil stocks. Damage to communications was quickly repaired. Everywhere except in the aircraft industry the loss was too small a fraction of total output to matter seriously. In early June 1941, the majority of German bomber units moved eastward to the soon-to-be Eastern Front, in preparation for Operation Barbarossa.

Sperrle had been involved in the war at sea since the first phase of the Battle of Britain. He received an OKL directive on October 20th, 1940 ordering him to attack shipping once again in the Thames Estuary. He ordered his dive-bombers into this service, but they were rapidly neutralised in November by a "dynamic defence". The most effective support for the U-boat campaign came from attacking ports in 1941. Direct support to the Kriegsmarine in the Battle of the Atlantic was haphazard; successes were won by accident rather than by design. The Atlantic command came under Sperrle's control upon formation but was subordinated to Sperrle officially on April 7th, 1942. The name of the command was misleading, for it was tasked with maritime interdiction operations all around the British coast besides operating deep into the Atlantic. In the 46 months following July 1940, German aircraft sank 1,228, 104 tons of merchant shipping and damaged 1,953, 862 tons. Another 60, 866 tons were sunk or damaged by mines in 1942 and 1943. The failure to properly cooperate with the navy against shipping was a grave strategic error which prevented the achievement of greater results. For a brief period in March 1943 before the German defeat in Black May Sperrle intended to increase his command to 22 groups for Atlantic operations. From the Allied perspective, the Atlantic campaign became nothing more than a "skirmish" by the autumn, 1943.

In 1942 another threat emerged when the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) began bombing raids against targets in Belgium and France. Sperrle's fighter pilots carried the burden of the defence in 1942. Later that year, JG 1 was assigned to Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte, later known as Luftflotte Reich (Air Fleet Reich) but saw little action since USAAF rarely crossed into the Netherlands. Thereafter, the air war only escalated. Sperrle resisted attempts by Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte to gain control of anti-aircraft forces or to allow the physical degradation of his air fleet, and the offensive mindedness of the OKL favoured front-line units. In March 1943, an immediate rise in losses had already been noted. A report from Luftflotte 3 recognised the size and defensive power of American bombers required a timely interception by massed formations for any chance of success. In July alone, western fighter forces lost 335 single-engine aircraft to all causes. On the German side, there was a call to unify German fighter forces and hold them back from coastal and keep them out of Allied fighter escort range. Regardless of the logic, Sperrle opposed the idea to preserve his command. Sperrle was sensitive to a centralise command for fighter forces and resisted. On September 15th, 1943 an effort to improve Sperrle's organisation was made by creating II. Jagdkorps with the 5th and 4. Jagd Division. The improvement in command and control made little difference in the battle with the USAAF for neither division received the reinforcements it needed. At the end of 1943, the German air defences won temporary successes against the USAAF Eighth Air Force. In February 1944, Big Week targeted German and French–based targets. The German fighter force was bled white over the following two months. In the lead up to June 1944, Luftflotte 3 remained weak, and contained few ground-attack aircraft; nearly all were based on the Eastern Front. Sperrle's fighter pilots were required to attack the landing forces.

A major effect of the combined offensive on Sperrle's air fleet was the diversion and reinforcement of Luftflotte Reich at the expense of Luftflotte 3. By June 1944, the number of fighter aircraft available in the west numbered just 170. Sperrle's air fleet had, at most, 300 fighter aircraft on June 6th, 1944 to contest the D-day landings. The Western Allies amassed 12,837, including 5,400 fighters. Sperrle's air fleet was particularly weak in night fighter units. Given the low priority for their production, Sperrle went for periods with no night–fighting capabilities despite the crucial geographical position of his air fleet and the exposure of important French industries to night attack. Sperrle's air fleet was reinforced on Göring's orders for the purpose of bombing London. The offensive was named Operation Steinbock and began in January 1944. British defences had improved dramatically since 1941 and were fully prepared to repel the attacks. The offensive wasted the last German bomber reserves. The losses were a blow to Sperrle. Sperrle's air fleet Enigma signals had been cracked and ULTRA codebreakers from Bletchley Park deciphered signals sent by Luftflotte 3 headquarters to the OKW. Reading the reports, Allied intelligence deduced that the bombing operations against bridges, west of the Seine, and fighter activity between Mantes and Le Mans, had convinced the air fleet staff the invasion would take place in the Pas de Calais. Allied attacks in May 1944 against bases had a devastating impact on Luftflotte 3 capabilities. ULTRA gave the Allies intelligence on the location and strength of German fighter units as well as the effectiveness of attacks. Further damage was done to Sperrle's air defence network. Some 300,000 personnel worked in Luftflotte 3, 56,000 in signals. The fortification of radar sites after Dieppe had only highlighted them, and 76 of the 92 were knocked out by D-Day. The Allies enjoyed complete air superiority on June 6th, 1944 and flew 14,000 missions in support of the invasion. On the first day, the British and Commonwealth landed 75,215 men and the Americans 57,500. A large force of 23,000 paratroops parachuted in during the night. Luftflotte 3 barely reacted.

Sperrle was dismissed from his post on August 23rd, 1944, hours before American and French forces liberated Paris and overran his headquarters. As the German front collapsed in the aftermath of the Falaise pocket, the air fleet ground organisation uprooted and fled east across the Seine. Hitler charged the personnel of the 3rd air fleet with desertion and held Sperrle responsible. On September 22nd,1944 his former command was downgraded from air fleet to air command status. By the time of his dismissal, Sperrle had purportedly long since lost faith in the German war effort and in Hitler and Göring's military leadership. He had become lazy and had a tendency to indulge in the trappings and luxury lifestyle occupied France offered. During the war Hitler had occasionally gifted Sperrle artwork that may have been looted from occupied territories. Analysts of Sperrle's performance have been critical of his perceived inaction in Normandy and point to critical contemporary army reports on the failures of his command. Others have questioned Sperrle's influence on the conduct of operations and suggested he was a convenient scapegoat for Göring. Sperrle remained embittered after the defeat in France. He was deemed unfit for a senior command and spent the rest of the war in the Führerreserve. On May 1st, 1945, Sperrle was arrested by the British Army and became a prisoner of war. Sperrle was captured by the Allies and charged with war crimes in the High Command Trial at the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials but was acquitted. The court concluded that Sperrle had never been a member of the Nazi Party nor one of its affiliate organizations. After the war, he lived quietly and died in Munich on April 2nd, 1953 at the age of 68.

[armyaviaton]

  Προφήτης Ηλίας ο Θεσβίτης. (1) (2)

Βιογραφία

Ο προφήτης Ηλίας έζησε τον 9 π.Χ. αιώνα και ήταν γιος του Σωβάκ και καταγόταν από τη Θέσβη (γι’ αυτό και ονομάστηκε Θεσβίτης) της περιοχής Γαλαάδ, και άνηκε στην φυλή του Ααρών. Όταν γεννήθηκε, ο πατέρας του είδε μία θεία οπτασία: Δύο άνδρες λευκοφορεμένοι τον ονόμαζαν Ηλία, τον σπαργάνωναν με φωτιά και του έδιναν φλόγα να φάει. Τότε ο πατέρας του, πήγε στα Ιεροσόλυμα και αφού περιέγραψε την οπτασία στους ιερείς, εκείνοι του είπαν ερμηνεύοντας την οπτασία, ότι ο γιος του θα γίνει προφήτης και θα κρίνει το Ισραήλ με δίκοπο μαχαίρι και φωτιά. Ο Προφήτης άσκησε το προφητικό του χάρισμα επί 25 έτη. Προείπε για την έλευση του Χριστού στην γη 816 χρόνια πριν. Ήταν τόσο μεγάλη η πίστη του, που κατέβασε τρεις φορές φωτιά από τον ουρανό κάνοντας τους Ισραηλίτες με μια φωνή να πουν: «αληθώς Κύριος ο Θεός, αυτός ο Θεός» (Βασιλειών Γ’ ιη’ 39), δηλαδή, Αληθινά! Ο Κύριος, ο Θεός του Ισραήλ, αυτός είναι ο μόνος πραγματικός και αληθινός Θεός. Επίσης, σταμάτησε την βροχή και ανάστησε νεκρούς, όπως το νεκρό γιο της Σεραφθίας χήρας. Με την φωτιά μάλιστα έκαψε τους εκατό στρατιώτες που είχε στείλει ο βασιλιάς Οχοζίας για να τον συλλάβουν. Στο όρος Χωρήβ (όρος Σινά ) είδε τον ίδιο τον Θεό, όσο είναι δυνατό, βέβαια, να Τον δει άνθρωπος, διέσχισε τον Ιορδάνη χωρίζοντας τα νερά του στα δυο με τη μηλωτή του (ένδυμα από δέρμα προβάτου) και τέλος, ενώ συνομιλούσε με τον μαθητή του μετέπειτα προφήτη Ελισαίο, αρπάχτηκε ξαφνικά από πύρινο άρμα και αναλήφθηκε «ως εις ουρανόν», όπου τον μετέθετε ζωντανό ο Θεός, όπως και τον Ενώχ.

Επίσης παρέστη στην Μεταμόρφωση του Χριστού μαζί με τον Μωϋσή.

Η μνήμη της πυρφόρου αναβάσεως εις ουρανούς του ενδόξου Προφήτη Ηλία του Θεσβίτη, εορτάζεται στις 20 Ιουλίου.

(1) Ανάλυση ονόματος ΗΛΙΑΣ: (εβραϊκή λέξη από το ελίγια) = αυτός που έχει Θεία δύναμη, ο Θείος.

(2) Η εικόνα βρίσκεται στο Βυζαντινο Μουσείο Μακρινίτσας και απεικονίζει την  Ανάληψη του Προφήτη Ηλία, του ζωγράφου Πανταζή, 1848.

Α/Δ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΒΙΚΕΙΟΥ

Η κεντρική εκδήλωση τιμής του Προστάτη της Αεροπορίας Στρατού, του Προφήτη Ηλία, πραγματοποιήθηκε στο Στρατόπεδο Περισσάκη στο Στρατιωτικό αεροδρόμιο του Στεφανοβικείου Μαγνησίας.

Την εκδήλωση τίμησε με την παρουσία του ο Αρχηγός ΓΕΣ Αντιστράτηγος Γεώργιος Καμπάς, ο οποίος παρέστη στην Δοξολογία (20/7) και κατέθεσε στεφάνη στο μνημείο των πεσόντων.

Ακολούθησε επίδειξη πτητικών μέσων της Ταξιαρχίας.

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ΠΗΓΕΣ

https://www.vimaorthodoxias.gr

http://www.armyvoice.gr

Α/Δ ΜΕΓΑΡΩΝ

Γράφει ο Δημήτρης Σαμπάνης

Παραμονή της εορτής του Προφήτη Ηλία (19/7/2019) και στην ομώνυμη εκκλησία του αεροδρομίου Πάχης Μεγάρων, τελέστηκε πανηγυρικός εσπερινός και Περιφορά της εικόνας του Προφήτη. Όπως κάθε χρόνο τέτοια ημέρα, αρκετός ήταν ο κόσμος που τίμησε τον εορτασμό του ναού.

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Α/Δ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ

Παραμονή της εορτής του Προφήτη Ηλία, (19/7/2019), προστάτη του Όπλου της Αεροπορίας Στρατού, έλαβαν χώρα πανηγυρικές εκδηλώσεις στον ομώνυμο Ιερό Ναό του Στρατοπέδου “Μακεδονομάχου Πρόιου” έδρα του Στρατιωτικού Αεροδρομίου Αλεξάνδρειας.

Ρεπορτάζ: Βασίλης Σιμόπουλος

Με παρουσία εκπροσώπων της στρατιωτικής ιεραρχίας και αρκετών πιστών της γύρω περιοχής, τελέστηκε Πανηγυρικός Εσπερινός μετά αρτοκλασίας. Ακολούθησε η λιτανεία της ιερής εικόνας του Προφήτη Ηλία εντός του χώρου του Αεροδρομίου. Παράλληλα έγινε παρουσίαση των αεροπορικών μέσων προς τον κόσμο. Παραβρέθηκαν ο Διοικητής της Στρατιωτικής Σχολής Αξιωματικών Σωμάτων (Σ.Σ.Α.Σ) Υποστράτηγος Γεώργιος Μαντζουράνης, ο Υποδιοικητής 1ης Μεραρχίας Πεζικού Ταξίαρχος Πάρις Καπραβέλος, ο Διοικητής του ΚΕΑΣ Ταξίαρχος Ευστράτιος Γαϊτανίδης, ο Διοικητής της ΣΑΣ Συνταγματάρχης (ΑΣ) Νικόλαος Μπινιατίδης και ο Διοικητής του 3ου ΤΕΑΣ Αντισυνταγματάρχης (ΑΣ) Ιωάννης Σιδερής.

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  Ολοκλήρωση των πανηγυρικών εκδηλώσεων υπέρ του Προφήτη Ηλία στις 20/7/2019, ανήμερα της εορτής, με τέλεση Θείας Λειτουργίας στην ομώνυμη εκκλησία του Στρατιωτικού Αεροδρομίου Αλεξάνδρειας.

Ρεπορτάζ: Βασίλης Σιμόπουλος

Τον εορτασμό τίμησαν με την παρουσία τους ο Υποδιοικητής 1ης Μεραρχίας Πεζικού Ταξίαρχος Πάρις Καπραβέλος, ο Διοικητής ΚΕΑΣ Ταξίαρχος Ευστράτιος Γαϊτανίδης, ο Διοικητής ΣΑΣ Συνταγματάρχης(ΑΣ) Νικόλαος Μπινιατίδης και ο Διοικητής 3ου ΤΕΑΣ Αντισυνταγματάρχης (ΑΣ) Ιωάννης Σιδερής. Παραβρέθηκαν στελέχη (αξιωματικοί-υπαξιωματικοί-οπλίτες) των ΚΕΑΣ, ΣΑΣ, 3ου ΤΕΑΣ και κόσμος της γύρω περιοχής. Ακολούθησε δεξίωση στον υπαίθριο χώρο του Στρατοπέδου “Μακεδονομάχου Πρόιου”.

ΠΗΓΕΣ

http://www.alexandriamou.gr

http://emvolos.gr

Ο ΕΟΡΤΑΣΜΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΡ. ΗΛΙΑ, ΠΡΟΣΤΑΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΕΡΟΠΟΡΙΑΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΟΥ.(2019) Προφήτης Ηλίας ο Θεσβίτης. (1) (2) Βιογραφία Ο προφήτης Ηλίας έζησε τον 9 π.Χ. αιώνα και ήταν γιος του Σωβάκ και καταγόταν από τη Θέσβη (γι’ αυτό και ονομάστηκε Θεσβίτης) της περιοχής Γαλαάδ, και άνηκε στην φυλή του Ααρών.

[67-romeo]

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB), 151st Aviation Regiment, South Carolina National Guard, conducted full-spectrum support and live-fire gunnery operations, at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) located at McEntire Joint National Guard Base (JNGB). (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brad Mincey) #armyaviation #scnationalguard #nationalguard

[usafphantom2]

British and US helicopters operate together in the Swift Response 2022 Exercise

Diego Alves By Diego Alves 05/23/22 - 1:00 PM in Helicopters, Military

British and American helicopters have demonstrated their abilities by working together in the Swift Response Exercise. Aviation Task Force 1 of the Joint Helicopter Command (ATF-1), which commands the attack, reconnaissance and support helicopters in the British Army's global response force, is flying in support of the main multinational exercise in North Macedonia.

The British Army issued a press release:

“The Apache attack helicopters of the 4 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC), 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team and the Chinook support helicopters of the 18 Squadron of the RAF are working alongside the Chinook and Blackhawk support helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade of the U.S. Army, known as the Wolfes Task Force In the exercise, mountains more than 2,000 m high and dusty soil create challenging flight conditions, while the ground team is working on the field at Advanced Weapons and Refueling Points (FARP), the military equivalent of a Formula 1 pit stop.

British and French paratroopers have demonstrated the firepower they can use during the demanding shooting training in the hills of North Macedonia.

A key activity was the shooting exercise with combined weapons. Protected by the Apaches, Chinooks and Blackhawks landed soldiers from the 2nd Battalion of the Paratrooper Regiment, with the Apaches providing fire support from their 30 mm cannons and Chinooks from their 7.62 mm miniguns and machine guns. ”

ATF-1 commander, Lieutenant Colonel Alex Harris, said:

“What we are delivering in Swift Response is incredibly challenging. We deploy helicopters and everything we need to operate them thousands of kilometers across Europe to establish an austere location, quickly build a relationship with another unit with different procedures and equipment, and now we are planning and carrying out complex airstrikes on missions together. Being able to do this is proof of the quality of our soldiers - their skills, physical and mental robustness - and they are taking the chance to go out and do their job."

U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters fly over during the NATO exercise 'Swift Response 22' at the Krivolak Army Training Camp. Photo by EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

American Warrant Officer Daniel Thompson, HH-60 Blackhawk pilot said:

"I've been flying with British doctors and our role is to evacuate the victims, both in the exercise scenario and if there is any real situation. Together with the British, we have attack helicopters, heavy cargo and medical evacuation that form a very powerful team, where each of us has brought different experiences. I first served with the British in Afghanistan in 2003 and we worked very well together. This training aims to further build trust between us, so that we can be ready to respond to any global contingencies."

The Swift Response Exercise is carried out with more than 3,000 soldiers from eight NATO countries in North Macedonia under the command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, with about 2,000 British soldiers and aviators participating.

Tags: Boeing Ah-64E ApacheBoeing CH-47F ChinookSwift Response ExerciseNATO - North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationRoyal ArmySikorsky UH-60M Black HawkUS Army - U.S ARMY

Diego Alves

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[ukforcesnews]

TRANSFORMATION FOR BRITISH ARMY

The British Army has announced further details of Future Soldier, its most radical programme of transformation in over 20 years.

Launched as part of the Government’s Integrated Review in March 2021, Future Soldier outlines how the Army will be organised and structured in the future and how it will deal with emerging threats across the world. 

The latest announcement includes details on the future Army roles that Regular and Reserve units will perform. It also outlines where the Army will be based, and when changes will take effect.

Soldiers from the Recce element of 3 Rifles demonstrating their equipment and surveillance techniques to their Romanian counterparts as a part of a knowledge exchange.

Commander of the Field Army, Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse CBE MC said: “Future Soldier is the next step in the evolution of the British Army; it is the most radical change for the British Army in 20 years. It will change the way we fight and operate, and make us more lethal, agile and lean. It will be underpinned by changes to structure, technology, and workforce. Future Soldier is fundamentally about ensuring the British Army is a competitive and resilient organisation able to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, wherever they may be.”

Supporting Army Personnel

Future Soldier will see an overhaul of training for soldiers, with a new British Army Soldier Academy set to be launched that will sit alongside officer training delivered through the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Together, with a virtual NCO Academy, these will deliver coordinated foundation training for everyone that joins the British Army.

Army personnel will be given more control over their career choices as part of The Army People Plan, scheduled to be published in early 2022. A new Career Management Portal, for both Reserve and Regular personnel, will allow soldiers to apply to change their role, cap badge or trade online.

The announcements are part of a series of pioneering changes to maximise opportunities available to all Army recruits regardless of education and background. Soldiers commissioning from the ranks will not be limited on how far they can be promoted, increasing the opportunity for a Private soldier to leave the Army as a General. 

A Force Mental Health Team will be established within the Field Army, who will be able to help support the promotion of mental health & wellbeing as well as provide a deployable healthcare capability in support of persistent engagement.

Force elements from across the 1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team

Ranger Regiment cap badge unveiled

The Ranger Regiment, announced in March as part of the new Army Special Operations Brigade, will stand-up from the 1st December 2021 to commence selection and training of its four battalions. 

The regiment cap badge has also been revealed, taking its inspiration and spirit from the Peregrine Falcon. Fast, agile and fiercely loyal to its partner, the Peregrine operates around the world in all environments including deserts, mountains and cities.

The Army Special Operations Brigade will deploy alongside partner forces around the world to counter Violent Extremist Organisations and hostile state threats. The design for the Army Special Operations Brigade formation flash is inspired by the badge of the Special Service Brigade, which was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War.

D Coy, 5 RIFLES, has deployed on their readiness verification exercise to ensure that they are deployable at a moment’s notice.

Changes to Army Units

Future Soldier has been designed to optimise a force of over 100,000 personnel, with the Army’s workforce re-sizing and re-shaping over the next decade.

Army Reservists will play a vital role in delivering Future Soldier, taking principal responsibility for Homeland Protect and Resilience operations, supported by the Regular forces. The infantry will be reorganised into four new Infantry Divisions, each with an affiliated Ranger Battalion.

Deployable forces will be re-modelled around Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), creating more self-sufficient tactical units that integrate the full range of capabilities at the lowest possible level, including artillery, un-crewed aerial systems, cyber, air defence, engineers, signals and logistical support. 

A new Experimentation and Trials Group will be established in 2022 and will drive innovation and competitiveness across the force. Built around 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment and the specialist trials and development units, it will lead on trialling new technologies and integrating them into the way that we will fight and operate.

The Army will target achieving a fully modernised fleet of fighting vehicles by 2030, built around a combination of Ajax, Boxer, Challenger 3, AH64E, long range precision fires and un-crewed aerial systems. An Armoured Brigade Combat Team Transition Team will minimise the disruption of replacing vehicles by synchronising the phasing out of the old fleet with the introduction of new vehicles (like Warrior to Boxer).

The restructuring and reorganisation of Army Units will occur progressively in the next 4 years and will be supported by a rebalancing of Army basing across the United Kingdom. The proportion of the Army based in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be sustained or increased.

These changes will also see the Army investing heavily in its basing through the Army’s whole-force basing plan. This is anchored on the Army’s share of a revised c.£3.35 billion Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Programme and a new RFCA Estate Optimisation Programme (REOP), supported by additional Army investment of over £1.2 billion in the remaining sites.

Ajax and Boxer side by side The Proj HERMOD IR rehearsal took place over the week of 15-19 march 2021.

Driving Cultural Change

Maximising the potential of every individual in the Army will be critical to our success, as will be the creation of a culture where everyone is comfortable and empowered to perform to their very best.

An independent audit of Army culture will identify where change will be targeted, and an extension of 180/360 degree reporting to include middle-ranking officers will drive transparency and showcase the best leaders. Change will also be driven at the highest level; a review of the selection, education and training for commanders at Lieutenant Colonel and above will better prepare our leaders for the command challenges in our future Army.

Pictured are brother and sister Corporal (Cpl) Adam Bell (left) and Private (Pte) Rebecca Bell, of the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (2YORKS) before they deploy on exercise in Cyprus on 3rd Aug 2021.

“A more agile, integrated, lethal and expeditionary force”

Announcing the new details in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, “Future Soldier is reinforced by the ambition outlined in the Defence Command Paper to transform the Army into a more agile, integrated, lethal and expeditionary force. We have underpinned this generational work with a £24 billion increase in defence spending over the next four years.”

© Crown Copyright 2021

Special thanks to forces photographers

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source https://ukforcesnews.co.uk/transformation-for-british-army/

[defensenow]

U.S. Army Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment “Leader Rakkasans,” 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), along with Task Force Fighting Eagle, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, both supporting 3rd Infantry Division, showcase American military equipment, including a UH-60 Black Hawk and a CH-47 Chinook, during an event for friends and families of the Estonian Defense Force at Camp Taara, Estonia, Jan. 21, 2024.

[tachtutor]

Biden Administration Not Committing To A Full Drawdown Of Troops From Afghanistan By May

Biden Administration Not Committing To A Full Drawdown Of Troops From Afghanistan By May

Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division gather their equipment before boarding a CH-47F Chinook that serves with the Task Force Flying Dragons, or 1st General Support Aviation Battalion., 25th Avn. Regiment, 16th Combat Avn. Brigade, in the Nawa Valley, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Photo: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Houston | FlickrCC  (CNN)The Pentagon said Thursday that the Biden…