No. 658 Squadron AAC

658 Squadron AAC is a special operations support squadron of the Army Air Corps (AAC) unit of the British Army that provides dedicated aviation support to the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS) for domestic counterterrorism (CT) and CSAR operations.

[4] The press has given the squadron, their helicopters, and the CT response force they enable, the nickname "Blue Thunder".

The squadron role was to support the 21st Army Group and on 26 June 1944 it moved to France.

[16] The squadron reformed c. 1982 as part of 7 Regiment AAC based at Airfield Camp, Netheravon.

[16] In April 1995, the squadron became a Territorial Army unit part of 7 Regiment AAC (Volunteers).

1908 AOP Flight based at RAF Idris in Libya to the newly formed Army Air Corps.

[19][20] The flight later deployed to Northern Ireland operating the Scout and Bell Sioux helicopters.

[19] In 2001, the flight was incorporated into the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW).

[2][33] The squadron provides dedicated aviation support to 22 SAS with domestic CT operations[3] based at Stirling Lines.

A postwar Auster Mk.V, restored in wartime colours.
Westland Scout XR628 of 8 Flight deployed to RAF Habilayn in 1967.
The Dauphin helicopter ZJ780.