AAC Islander and Defender to be transfered to the RAF?
 

Any idea if there is any truth in this?

https://twitter.com/Gabriel64869839/...69312023150592

Harriett Baldwin MP - Member of Parliament for West Worcestershire

Written answer today to a question from Kevan Jones:

The AAC student pilots on 45 Sqn at Cranwell were briefed on this over a year ago.

From Jane's UK MoD looks to transfer Army Defender and Islander aircraft to RAF | IHS Jane's 360

Seems a decent swop, Islanders for Chinooks :-)

Can see the Islanders/Defenders relocating to Odiham with other Special Forces units and a Chinook squadron or further build up of the OCU moving to Benson

More importantly, what Squadron Numberplate will be regenerated?

There must be a suitable (AC) or (Recce) numberplate just begging to be chosen.

What future for permanent Military flying operations at Aldergrove? Or back to RAF Aldergrove?

And the inevitable 'Which (historic) squadron will be reformed' to operate them?

Edit: MPN11 posted while I was typing!

I'll pitch in first with 20 Squadron!

That, curiously, was my first thought :)

A lot of AC and AAC* history in the past, for sure.



* Anti-Aircraft Co-operation, not the other lot!

Why not shove them with 14 Sqn operating the Shadow. they are only little. I think the guys in the back are Army anyway. Are the DA42s still around?

Unless you can put another hangar up on the far side of the airfield at Benson I'm not sure how you'd get another Chinook sqn in there; it's already pretty full with the current inhabitants and there aren't that many hangars. Plus, Benson as a whole is a relatively small base, there might need to be a fair bit of work to increase capacity on the domestic side of the station.

A controversial suggestion might be to decide whether there is a continuing requirement for 657 at Odiham; if not, move them in with the rest of the Lynx community and move the Defenders in. However I'd go with dragartist's suggestion and make them part of 14 Sqn. If push comes to shove, once Waddington is fully back up and running and 5 have stopped squatting at Cranwell, you could move 14 into that hangar and have a central location for King Airs and similar types.

Would they not want to relocate closer to SPTA as Odiham already has regular detachments of Defenders/Islanders? Take your point with 657 and thought there had been discussions previous about moving them out to Yeovilton to join the Wildcat/Lynx population

How about merging with the Northolt Station Flight and upgrading to squadron status?

An obvious candidate would be 28(AC) surely, Merlins until we gave them to the FAA.....

I believe 28(AC) is now the Puma/Chinook OCU.

Of course, they could just redesignate 651 Sqn AAC as 651 Sqn RAF. It was an RAF unit to start with, after all...

Good call :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._651_Squadron_RAF

Is there any precedent for any squadron being "transferred" (e.g. 400+ to RCAF, 450+ to RAAF, 700+ to FAA) and then coming back to RAF?

Melchett01,

Really don't see how Benson can be as overcrowded aircraft wise as you claim. It has 23 Pumas and 6 Chinooks, surely spread around the 4 huge C Type hangars and the tin T2 hangar that Benson has that leaves oodles of room?

Before the OCU moved in it was home to two bigger Puma Squadrons and the two squadrons of the entire RAF Merlin force, with attached Operational Conversion Flights.

It has swapped the whole Merlin force for 6 OCU Chinooks.

Must be plenty of room.