1st Aviation Regiment (Australia)

Australian Army unit November 2019 1st Aviation Regiment Australian Army (A38-017) Eurocopter EC-655 Tiger ARH departing Wagga Wagga Airport.jpg 300px An Australian Army Tiger ARH 1966 – present Australia Army Aviation Attack and reconnaissance Regiment 16th Aviation Brigade Robertson Barracks, DarwinRAAF Base Townsville Alert Sergeant Penny Alert(a peregrine falcon) Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian 100px Unit colour patch The 1st Aviation Regiment is one of the Australian Army's three Army Aviation regiments and provides aerial reconnaissance and fire support to the Australian Army. The 1st Aviation Regiment, equipped with Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, forms part of the 16th Aviation Brigade and is based at Gaza Lines, Robertson Barracks, Darwin.1st Aviation Regiment https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/units/forces-command/16th-aviation-brigade/1st-aviation-regiment Australian Army 19 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20200320224441/https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/units/forces-command/16th-aviation-brigade/1st-aviation-regiment 20 March 2020 dead History The Regiment was formed on 26 April 1966 as the 1st Division Army Aviation Regiment and was re-designated the 1st Aviation Regiment on 31 March 1967.1 Aviation Regiment http://www.fourays.org/aviation_units/1_avn_regt/1_avn_regt.htm Fourays – The Australian Army Aviation Association https://web.archive.org/web/20060713013118/http://www.fourays.org/aviation_units/1_avn_regt/1_avn_regt.htm 13 July 2006 The regiment had historically operated a mix of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. In late 2004, the regiment was re-organised for its new role to operate the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). As part of this restructure, 171st Operational Support Squadron and 173rd Surveillance Squadron were placed as direct command units of the 16th Aviation Brigade. During 2005 and 2006, the regiment consolidated all of the remaining squadrons into one location for the first time, at Gaza Lines, in Darwin's Robertson Barracks.June 2020 The Tiger ARH reached its full operational capability on 18 April 2016 with minor caveats. This process took much longer than expected, due in part to the complexity of the helicopters and shortages of spare parts. The 2016 Defence White Paper stated that the Tigers would be retired early, and be replaced with different aircraft during the mid-2020s.http://australianaviation.com.au/2016/05/armys-tiger-arh-achieves-foc/ 14 May 2016 Australian Aviation Army's Tiger ARH achieves FOC On 15 January 2021, Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds announced that the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian had been selected for Project Land 4503 to replace the Tiger ARH.Minister for Defence Senator Linda Reynolds Future ready - strengthening Army's armed reconnaissance capability https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lreynolds/media-releases/future-ready-strengthening-armys-armed-reconnaissance-capability Department of Defence Ministers 15 January 2021 12 March 2021Pittaway Nigel Australia selects Boeing Apache as next armed reconnaissance helicopter https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2021/01/19/australia-selects-boeing-apache-as-next-armed-reconnaissance-helicopter/ Defense News 19 January 2021 en-US 2021-01-20 A fleet of 29 Apaches will be acquired with a planned initial operational capability of 12 helicopters in 2026 and full operational capability in 2028.Apaches for Army https://www.armynewspaper.defence.gov.au/army-news/february-4-2021/flipbook/2/ Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper 1481 Department of Defence Canberra 0729-5685 4 February 2021 2 23 March 2021 13 October 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221013050249/https://www.armynewspaper.defence.gov.au/army-news/february-4-2021/flipbook/2/ deadPrime Minister Scott Morrison Minister for Defence Peter Dutton Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price Securing our national security and local defence jobs and skills https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2022/05/09/securing-our-national-security-and-local-defence-jobs-and-skillshttps://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2022/05/09/securing-our-national-security-and-local-defence-jobs-and-skills Liberal Party of Australia 1 September 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220509013723/https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2022/05/09/securing-our-national-security-and-local-defence-jobs-and-skills 9 May 2022 9 May 2022 dead The Defence Strategic Review in April 2023 stated that coinciding with the introduction of the new Apache fleet, the regiment would be relocating to RAAF Base Townsville, where it would be based alongside C Squadron of the 5th Aviation Regiment who operate the CH-47F Chinook.Pittway Nigel 25 May 2023 Relocations as Apaches and Balck Hawks on way The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/relocations-as-apaches-and-black-hawks-on-way/news-story/9cbe8ec055d4d5b2ea799b941b14a8f8 28 May 2023Pittaway Nigel Army to move battlefield helos from Townsville https://www.australiandefence.com.au/defence/land/army-to-move-battlefield-helos-from-townsville 14 October 2023 Australian Defence Magazine 19 January 2023 The regimental headquarters and 161 Reconnaissance Squadron relocated to Townsville in 2025. 162 Reconnaissance Squadron will remain in Darwin until the Tiger helicopters are retired.Parades mark Army aviation milestones https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2025-12-08/parades-mark-army-aviation-milestones Department of Defence 8 December 2025 8 December 2025 As of May 2026, 6 Apaches had been delivered.MAJ Jesse Robilliard Apache fleet reaches six https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-05-20/apache-fleet-reaches-six Department of Defence 29 May 2026 20 May 2026 On 30 September 2026, the Tiger ARH fleet was retired from service.Dowling Hannah Army bids farewell to Tiger operations after 22 years https://australianaviation.com.au/2026/09/army-bids-farewell-to-tiger-operations-after-22-years/ 2 October 2026 Australian Aviation Momentum Aviation 25 September 2026ARH Tiger flyover https://images.defence.gov.au/assets/Home/Search?Query=20260924adf8720468_IMG_7558.jpg&Type=Filename Defence Imagery Department of Defence 2 October 2026 25 September 2026 All Apaches are expected to be delivered by 2029. Current organisation The regiment is currently organised as follows: Regimental Headquarters 161 Reconnaissance Squadron 162 Reconnaissance Squadron Operational Support Squadron Civil assistance and operations INTERFET, Operations Stabilise/Warden, UNTAET & Operation Tanager, NSW Flood Assistance, Operation Gold (Sydney Olympics), UNMISET & Operation Citadel, Operation Anode, Operation Guardian II, Operation Astute. Commanding Officers LTCOL WJ Slocombe - April 1966 - February 1968 LTCOL RR Harding - February 1986 - September 1969 LTCOL BH Cooper - November 1972 - December 1975 LTCOL G Hill-Smith, DFC - December 1975 - October 1978 LTCOL CT Barnett - December 1980 - December 1983 LTCOL AJ Fritsch - December 1983 - December 1985 LTCOL HR Pronk - December 198 - December 1991 LTCOL BW Millen - January 1992 - October 1993 LTCOL PJ Neuhaus - November 1993 - December 1994 LTCOL NJ Crowther - January 1995 - December 1996 LTCOL AR MacDonald - December 1996 - December 1998 LTCOL CI Evans - December 1998 - January 2001 LTCOL PS Smith - January 2001 - December 2002 LTCOL NA Turton - January 2003 - January 2005 LTCOL A Jones - January 2006 - January 2007 LTCOL B Dwyer - August 2007 - December 2009 LTCOL Fenwick - September 2009 - December 2011 LTCOL GA Moten - November 2011 - December 2013 LTCOL D Thompson - January 2014 - January 2016 LTCOL Hayden Archibald - December 2015 - December 2017 LTCOL Daniel Bartle - December 2017 - December 2019 LTCOL Steve Hicks - January 2020 - December 2021 LTCOL Joel Domigan - January 2022 - December 2023 LTCOL MN Sherry - January 2024 - December 2025 Regimental Sergeant Majors WO1 CC Mils - April 1966 - December 1967 WO1 GA Way - March 1968 - June 1968 WO1 RAF Bassett - June 1968 - July 1969 WO1 WJ Bryson - February 1972 - September 1972 WO1 J Gordon May 1974 - May 1978 WO1 RS Hannah - May 1978 - July 1980 WO1 AP Flanagan - July 1980 - January 1981 WO1 FV McLean - January 1981 - December 1981 WO1 RE Smith, OAM - December 1981 - December 1983 WO1 GA Crowley - December 1983 - December 1985 WO1 HA King, OAM - December 1985 - December 1986 WO1 Porter - December 1986 - December 1988 WO1 GR Neumann - December 1988 - December 1990 WO1 John. A Lavery - December 1990 - December 1992 WO1 PC Little - December 1992 - August 1994 WO1 SJ Fairbrass - September 1994 - December 1996 WO1 DA Stephens - December 1996 - December 1999 WO1 JA Merrick - January 2000 - December 2001 WO1 DJ English - January 2002 - November 2003 WO1 Kieth R Coggins - December 2003 - December 2005 WO1 WG Marks - December 2005 - December 2006 WO1 Paul Richardson - December 2006 - December 2007 WO1 Wayne Fletcher - January 2008 - December 2009 WO1 MA Phillips - November 2010 - December 2013 WO1 LJ Stein - January 2014 - January 2016 WO1 Shane Gluyas - January 2016 - December 2017 WO1 N Edwards - January 2017 - December 2019 WO1 JS Wright - December 2019 - December 2021 WO1 T Thompson - January 2022 - December 2024 WO1 BP Read - January 2025 - November 2025 Notes 1 Category:Aviation units and formations of the Australian Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1966 Category:Cold War history of Australia Category:Military units in Northern Territory