Army aviation

U.S. soldiers inOH-58D KiowaandAH-64 Apachehelicopters conduct a combat air patrol in Iraq

Anarmy aviationunit is anaviation-related unit of a nation'sarmy,sometimes described as anair corps.These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicatedair force,and usually comprisehelicoptersand light supportfixed-wing aircraft.Prior to the establishment of separate national air forces, many armies hadmilitary aviationunits, which as the importance of aviation increased, were spun off into independent services. As the separation between a nation's army and air force led to a divergence of priorities, many armies sought to re-establish their own aviation branches to best serve their own organic tactical needs.

History

Military aviationfirst began as either army ornaval aviationunits established as force multipliers to allow armies and navies to better do what they were already doing, this taking mostly the form ofreconnaissanceandartillery spotting,this led to the first fighter aircraft whose purpose was to shoot down enemy reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft, and to protect one's own aircraft from being shot down. At this point the purpose of aircraft was still to act as an adjunct to traditional armies and fleets operating in the traditional way. However, as aircraft became more technologically sophisticated military theorists of the interwar period began to think ofairpoweras a means in and of itself where the critical blow could be delivered bystrategic bombing,and the experience of World War II confirmed this. Post World War II air forces such as theRoyal Air Forceand the newly establishedUnited States Air Forceconcentrated on building strategic bomber forces for attack and fighter forces to defend against enemy bombers. Air forces still incorporated a significant amount oftactical missionsthroughair interdictionandclose air supportmissions.

In order to acquire a close air support capability armies sought to expand, establish or re-establish their own tactical aviation branches, which are usually composed of helicopters, rather than fixed-wing aircraft.

With the development ofunmanned aerial vehiclessome armies have begun to use smallbattlefield UAVs,not attached to army aviation units, but rather directly attached to artillery battalions as spotters, and with the smallest and lightest drones being deployed by individual infantry platoons to provide real time local reconnaissance.