171st Aviation Squadron (Australia)

The 171st Aviation Squadron is an Australian Army helicopter squadron equipped with S70A Blackhawk helicopters and provides support to Special Operations Command (Australia). The squadron is currently based at Holsworthy Barracks near Sydney and forms part of the 6th Aviation Regiment.

History
The 171st Aviation Squadron traces its lineage back to the 171st (Air Cavalry) Flight which was formed on 7 July 1968 at RAAF Amberley. This unit was initially equipped with Sioux helicopters and Cessna 180s and a year after formation was relocated to Holsworthy. It was disbanded in 1973 but re-raised in 1974 at Oakey as a command and liaison squadron, equipped with Kiowa helicopters. The squadron was later re-equipped with UH-1H Iroqois helicopters in 1990, which were acquired from the Royal Australian Air Force; from that time the squadron's role was expanded to include reconnaissance, medevac, resupply and troop transport. It also took on a number of Defence Aid to the Civil Community (DACC) taskings including bushfire and flood relief within Australia and has been deployed overseas on humanitarian assistance missions. The squadron later formed part of the 1st Aviation Regiment where it was equipped with UH-1 Iroquois helicopters and flew in the operational support role.

In late 2004, the squadron "swapped designations" with A Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment and became an independent unit directly commanded by the 16th Aviation Brigade equipped with the Sikorsky S-70 Blackhawk, providing support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron became part of the 6th Aviation Regiment, based at Holsworthy Barracks, in 2008. On 29 November 2006 a 171st Aviation Squadron Blackhawk helicopter crashed during Operation Quickstep while attached to HMAS Kanimbla off the coast of Fiji. The helicopter's pilot, Captain Mark Bingley, and Trooper Joshua Porter from the Special Air Service Regiment were killed in the crash.