The Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing is a joint-service organisation which provides aviation support to United Kingdom Special Forces

United Kingdom Special Forces

The United Kingdom Special Forces is a UK Ministry of Defence Directorate which also has the capability to provide a Joint Special Operations Task Force Headquarters...

, using both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The Wing is based at RAF Odiham

RAF Odiham

RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the historic small village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3...

.

The Wing was formed on 2 April 2001, bringing together 657 Squadron Army Air Corps (AAC) and No. 7 Squadron RAF

No. 7 Squadron RAF

No. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.-Formation and early years:No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the RFC to be formed before the First World War, but has been disbanded and reformed...

 into a single unit to provide Lynx and Chinook in support of United Kingdom Special Forces. However part of the wing 8 Flight Army Air Corps

8 Flight Army Air Corps

8 Flight Army Air Corps is one of the Independent Flights within the British Army's Army Air Corps. 8 Flight is attached to the Special Air Service and based alongside them in Hereford....

 is based in Hereford with the Special Air Service

Special Air Service

Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...

 and No. 47 Squadron RAF

No. 47 Squadron RAF

No. 47 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.-First formation:No. 47 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 1916 as a home defence unit, protecting Hull and East Yorkshire against attack by German...

 is based at RAF Brize Norton

RAF Brize Norton

RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....

 in Oxfordshire. The Wing is under peacetime command of the Station Commander of RAF Odiham, but the single services retain full command of their respective personnel. It enjoys a charitable affiliation with the Worshipful Company of Curriers

Worshipful Company of Curriers

The Worshipful Company of Curriers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Curriers, or curers of leather, first formed an organisation in 1272. This organisation became a Company under a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1605...

 in the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

.

Equipment

Aircraft operated include:

• Chinook
• Lynx
  Westland Lynx
  The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
  
  
• Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin
• C-130 Hercules
  C-130 Hercules
  The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
  
  

See also

• U.S. 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment - Night Stalkers
  160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
  The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is a special operations unit of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and Special Operations Forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and are usually conducted at...
  
  
• Australian 171st Aviation Squadron
• Canadian 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron
• French 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment
• Italian 26th R.E.O.S. Special Operations Helicopter Unit
  26th Special Operations Helicopter Unit
  The 26th Squadron – Special Operations Helicopter Unit is a special operation unit of the Italian Army that provides helicopter aviation support for Italian special forces. The 26th REOS is headquartered in Viterbo near Rome...