Airforces

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #367 OCTOBER 2018 // 89

over in Canada. A lot of it was trying to

understand the high-level political issues

involved in that part of the world.”

On the flying training side, 661 deployed to

West Freugh and Kirkcudbright, Scotland,

for air-to-ground gunnery and also drilled in

high tactical threat scenarios. The squadron

was ready to go by February, coinciding

with it taking over readiness again – what

the AAC calls R2: five days’ notice to move

anywhere in the world, whether in response

to a humanitarian disaster or for warfighting.

“In the spring everything came together

for us to deploy to Estonia,” Maj Rivett

continued. After a recce to the Baltics

in the winter, with temperatures of -35°C

with wind chill, the squadron deployed

to Estonia in April. The Wildcats flew

from Yeovilton via the Netherlands and

Germany and up through the Baltic States,

which Maj Rivett described as “a huge

test of the aircraft and the first time it

had been done with the army Wildcat”.

It was an easier ride for the ground elements,

which were trucked to Southampton before

sailing to a port in northern Estonia.

The 661 Squadron Wildcats were stationed

at Ämari air base, alongside the lead Baltic

Air Policing detachment. From there, the

mission was to work with the Estonian

Defence Forces and other NATO allies

providing daily visual deterrents – and

conducting exercises and other training

activities, including working on interoperability.

The unit also supported the UK battlegroup

in the region – during 661’s time in the

Baltics, the eFP was commanded by The

Royal Welsh infantry regiment, based in

Tapa, before being taken over in the latter

stages by The Yorkshire Regiment.

Baltic ‘battle taxi’

The raison d’être of the AAC Wildcat is

reconnaissance to provide intelligence to

commanders on the battlefield. But it has

also inherited the Army Lynx’s ‘battle taxi’

role, transporting troops and weapons.

In Estonia, its training missions included

inserting mortar and Javelin missile

teams from the Royal Welsh. Once

the troops and weapons were dropped

off, the Wildcat switched back to its

BRH role, providing intelligence to

ambush ‘hostile’ armoured columns.

It was a role in accordance with 661

Squadron’s World War Two-era motto: ‘With

our eyes we designate for the slaughter’.

In future the Wildcat BRH is likely to further

expand its intelligence-gathering capabilities.

The 661 Squadron commander confirmed that

work is ongoing to add a surveillance radar

to the AH1, bringing commonality with the

Royal Navy’s Wildcat HMA2, which has already

demonstrated the capability of its 360-degree

Seaspray 7400E radar in a land environment.

Another future addition will probably

be a winch, as already trialled by 659

Squadron, 661’s sister unit at Yeovilton.

Currently, the other main difference

between the AH1 and the HMA2 is the crew

configuration. The navy operates with a

non-flying observer as commander in the

left-hand seat and a pilot on the right. In

the AAC Wildcat, the cockpit is set up for

dual control and both aircrew in the front,

as qualified pilots, can fly the helicopter.

Sending a message

Maj Rivett reflected: “It was an extremely

busy time for us. Overarching all of it was

our support to the strategic messaging

from the Estonians: they were very much

in the lead throughout, whether it be

on exercises or messaging activity.

“The Wildcat was a massive asset for

them, both representative of NATO allies

supporting them and their forces but also

as a strategic communications asset. There

wasn’t a lot of air power in that part of the

world and we augmented that significantly.”

In a mark of how well 661 Squadron and

its Wildcats were received, at the end of

the deployment the unit was awarded

the Estonian Defence Medal, formerly

only issued to Estonian nationals.

Recovery to Yeovilton was not as easy

as the trip out but, in Maj Rivett’s words,

“a great test for the unit and absolutely

representative of what we as a squadron

at readiness is supposed to do”.

The helicopters flew back over Central

Europe over three days and included visits

to Berlin and Gütersloh in Germany –

locations with historic connections to the

AAC. Once in the UK, they passed through

Wattisham – home of AAC Apache AH1s –

and Middle Wallop before arriving home.

All ground-based assets involved in the

squadron’s road move – including signallers,

refuelling and engineering assets, amounting

to around 22 vehicles and 72 personnel –

took a ferry from Latvia to Germany and from

there drove through the Netherlands before

boarding another vessel back to the UK.

Maj Rivett concluded: “All in all it was a

great run-out for the squadron. Getting

out somewhere and back, completely self-

sufficient. It was a great test of the Wildcat

and its capabilities and clearly provided

huge support for NATO overseas.”

Left: The sun sets on a 661 Squadron Wildcat

AH1 at Ämari air base in Estonia. Right: A crew

from 661 Squadron shows a designation of

Swedish and US ambassadors around one of

their ‘cabs’. In the background is a French Air

Force Mirage 2000-5F, deployed to Ämari for

the Baltic Air Policing mission. All photos Crown

Copyright unless stated

A Wildcat conducts a strike co-

ordination and reconnaissance

(SCAR) exercise with US Air

Force F-16Cs over Estonia.

AFM

88-89 Wildcat AFM Oct2018.indd 89 10/09/2018 14:19:57