German Army Aviators Corps

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= German Army Aviators Corps
"Heeresflieger"


caption=Coat of Arms of the German Army Aviators Corps
dates=1955 – present
country= Germany
allegiance=
branch=German Army
type=Army aviation branch
role= Tactical Air Transport, Close Air Support, Reconnaissance, Liaison, Disaster Relief
size=6 regiments, 1 independent squadrons, 1 school
command_structure=
current_commander=Brigadier General Richard Bolz
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname=
patron=
motto=Nach vorn
"To the front" or "Forward"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label= Cap Badge
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label= APP-6A symbol
aircraft_attack= MBB Bo 105P, Eurocopter Tiger
aircraft_bomber=
aircraft_fighter=
aircraft_interceptor=
aircraft_recon= MBB Bo 105M
aircraft_patrol=
aircraft_trainer= Eurocopter EC 135
aircraft_transport= Bell UH-1D, Sikorsky CH-53G/GS, NH90The German Army Aviators Corps ("Heeresfliegertruppe") is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviators Corps is part of the German Army ("Heer"), containing all its helicopter units. The German Air Force and the German Navy both also have their own helicopter units.

Identification

The coat of arms of the German Army Aviators Corps depicts a white eagle, swooping down whilst carrying a sword in its claws. Members of the German Army Aviator Corps wear a burgundy-coloured beret. The badge on the beret is a wing, crossed vertically by a sword, surrounded by oak leaves. Their epaulettes are lined in silver-grey. The sleeves of their uniforms show the flying wings, emphasizing their main task.

Tasks

The main tasks of the German Army Aviators Corps are:
* support of own troops through anti-tank warfare.
* transport, both internally and externally, of personnel and material.
* reconnaissance in combination with other units.
* liaison between different units
* disaster relief, e.g. wildfire, floods etc.

Due to their manifold tasks, the German Army Aviators Corps cannot be classified as having any of the classic tasks of army units, namely leading and supporting the leadership, fighting and supporting the fighting force.

Most units of the German Army Aviators Corps are incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division ("Division Luftbewegliche Operationen"). This division was founded on 1 July 2002 and became operational on 8 October 2002.

History

After the foundation of the Bundeswehr in 1955, the first head of the department of the German Army Aviators Corps, Colonel Horst Pape, was appointed on 7 November 1956. During the next ten years, a great number of bases all over the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany were founded.

In the first instance, all the equipment was acquired from allied nations. However, from the late 1960s onwards, more emphasis was put on developing new technology with other European partners. Until 1990, the German Army Aviators Corps was restricted to see active service only during aid mission within Germany and NATO countries.

Since the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany with the German Democratic Republic in 1990, there have been several rounds of re-organizations within the Bundeswehr, also affecting the German Army Aviators Corps. A number of bases were closed down, and their units either dissolved or merged with other units. In 2002, most remaining units of the German Army Aviators Corps were incorporated into the Airmobile Operations Division ("Division Luftbewegliche Operationen") .

Furthermore, the role of the German Army Aviators Corps changed as well. Since the mid 1990s, it has been increasingly deployed in a support rôle in several countries for as varying bodies as the United Nations, NATO and the EU, first in Iraq after the 1st Gulf War, then on the Balkans with IFOR, KFOR, SFOR and EUFOR, and most recently in Afghanistan as part of ISAF and most recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the EU contingent within the UN mission MONUC to monitor the general elections in 2006. This mission began in June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.

Equipment

The German Army Aviators Corps is equipped with:
* Bell UH-1D, light transport helicopter.
* Sikorsky CH-53G/GS, medium transport helicopter.
* MBB Bo 105P, anti-tank helicopter.
* MBB Bo 105M, reconnaissance and liaison helicopter.
* Eurocopter EC 135, training helicopter.
* NH90, multi-role helicopter

Procured but not yet delivered for active service has been:
* Eurocopter Tiger, attack helicopter

Units

The following units are subordinate to Airmobile Operations Division, the division's headquarters being in Veitshöchheim:

The following units operate independently:

The following units are part of the Army Aviators School. The school's headquarters is in Bückeburg:

ee also

* History of the German Army Aviators Corps
* Army aviation

References

Further reading

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External links

* [http://www.deutschesheer.de Official site of the German Army]
* [http://www.bundeswehr.de Official site of the German Armed Forces]
* [http://www.heideflieger-mixer.de/ Site of Army Aviators Liaison and Reconnaissance Helicopter Squadron 100]
* [http://www.heeresfliegerregiment15.de/ Site of Medium Transport Helicopter Regiment 15 "Münsterland" in Rheine]