History of the German Army Aviation Corps
[1] Despite being an experimental helicopter with only two examples ever built, the Fw 61 inspired Ernst Udet, head of the Reich Air Ministry development wing, to become a proponent of this relatively new type of aircraft after seeing the demonstration flights.
Another project, the more complex Focke Achgelis Fa 223 multi-role helicopter was beset with problems so that ultimately only 11 aircraft were delivered.
During a spread of wildfires in Germany in 1975 and 1976, helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps contributed to the extinguishing of the fires.
In January 1976, German Army Aviation Corps came to the rescue of the population of Cuxhaven and the Haseldorf Marshes, affected by severe flooding.
In August 1980, devastating wildfires on Mount Athos in Greece, threatening century-old monasteries, were fought with the aid of German Army Aviation Corps, using their device Smokey.
In 1991, German Army Aviation Corps helicopters provided humanitarian aid to Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq.
From October 1991 onwards, Sikorsky CH-53G of the German Army Aviation Corps provided the means of transport for UN weapons inspectors in Iraq.
In December 1995, German Army Aviation Corps became part of IFOR contingent, later to be renamed SFOR, in the former Yugoslavia, flying missions into the most remote mountainous regions.
The German Army Aviation Corps flew numerous mission in order to save the dikes and the population.
In March 1999, German Army Aviation Corps' mission in Kosovo began when the first base was established in Macedonia.
Delivery to active units is planned to be taking place from the second half of 2006 onwards, after the manufacturer, NH Industries, encountered several problems causing a delay in production.
During the flooding of the river Elbe in 2002, the German Army Aviation Corps flew countless missions in order to rescue people, strengthening the crumbling dikes and flying in supplies into areas cut off by the high waters.
Towards then end of 2003, the first Eurocopter Tiger helicopters were delivered for testing and evaluation purposes to the German Army's Office of Defense Technology and Procurement.
During yet another flooding of the river Elbe in April 2006, the German Army Aviation Corps again contributed to the aid of the population by flying numerous SAR missions.
[3] In August 2007 helicopters of the German Army Aviation Corps were part of the international force assisting the Greek authorities in fighting the catastrophic forest fires on the Peloponnese.
