16th Aviation Brigade (Australia)
Encyclopedia
The 16th Aviation Brigade currently commands most of the Australian Army's
aviation
units. Formed on 2 April 2002 the brigade from the amalgamation of the Aviation Support Group and the 1st Division's
Aviation unit, it is headquartered in Enoggera
, Queensland
with units based throughout Australia.
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
aviation
Australian Army Aviation
Australian Army Aviation is a corps of the Australian Army, and was formed on 1 July 1968 with a strength of 106 officer pilots, although it has a history dating back to 1911, when the Minister of Defence at the time, Senator George Pearce, decided there should be a flying school in the Defence...
units. Formed on 2 April 2002 the brigade from the amalgamation of the Aviation Support Group and the 1st Division's
1st Division (Australia)
The 1st Division is the main formation of the Australian Army and contains the majority of the army's regular forces. Its headquarters is in Enoggera, a suburb of Brisbane...
Aviation unit, it is headquartered in Enoggera
Enoggera Barracks
Enoggera Barracks is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland.-History:...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
with units based throughout Australia.
Current structure
The 16th Brigade (Aviation) currently consists of:- 16th Brigade (Aviation) headquarters (Enoggera BarracksEnoggera BarracksEnoggera Barracks is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland.-History:...
, Brisbane, Queensland)- 1st Aviation Regiment (armed reconnaissance helicopter, Robertson BarracksRobertson BarracksFor the Robertson Barracks, Norfolk, England see RAF Swanton MorleyRobertson Barracks is a major Australian Army base located in the outer Darwin, Northern Territory suburb of Holtze in the Municipality of Litchfield. The barracks was built during the 1990s. The Barracks are home to the 1st Brigade...
, Darwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
)- 161st Squadron
- 162nd Squadron
- Logistic Support Squadron
- Technical Support Squadron
- 5th Aviation Regiment (transport helicopter, RAAF Base TownsvilleRAAF Base TownsvilleRAAF Base Townsville is, along with RAAF Base Tindal and RAAF Base Darwin, one of northern Australia's primary defence installations. It is also Headquarters for No...
, Townsville, QueenslandTownsville, QueenslandTownsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
)- A Squadron
- B Squadron
- C Squadron
- Logistic Support Squadron
- Technical Support Squadron
- 6th Aviation Regiment6th Aviation Regiment (Australia)The 6th Aviation Regiment is one of the Australian Army's three Army Aviation regiments. The Regiment was formed in 2008 to command the Army's special forces helicopter squadron and its surveillance aircraft squadron...
(transport helicopter and intelligence collecting aircraft, Holsworthy BarracksHolsworthy BarracksHolsworthy Barracks is located in the outer south-western Sydney suburb of Holsworthy. It is part of the Holsworthy military reserve, which has been a training area and artillery range for the Australian Army since World War I. Following World War II it became a major base for the permanent...
, Sydney, New South Wales)- 171st Aviation Squadron (Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, New South Wales)
- 173rd Aviation Squadron (Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, New South Wales)
- Technical Administration Support Squadron (Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, New South Wales)
- 1st Aviation Regiment (armed reconnaissance helicopter, Robertson Barracks
Equipment
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook | Transport helicopter | CH-47D | 5 | |
| Eurocopter Tiger Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.-Origins:... |
Attack helicopter | Tiger ARH | 15 + 7 | |
| Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk Sikorsky S-70 The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service... |
Utility helicopter | S-70A-9 | 35 | |
| NHIndustries NH90 | Multi-role helicopter | MRH-90 | 12 | |
| Bell 206B-1 Kiowa Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected... |
Light Observation Helicopter | 206B-1 | 27 |