True, the Apache AH-64E attack helicopter may well steal the lime light with its devastating fire power and menacing looks, and, of course, the evocative wokka-wokka signature note of the all too familiar twin rotor CH47 Chinook is mightily impressive as it swoops down to disgorge whatever lies within its belly; however, spare a thought and a few plaudits for their pint-sized battle space colleague, the Wildcat.
A Wildcat helicopter of 661 Squadron Army Air Corps prepares to lift off from Amari Airfield in Estonia on a reconnaissance mission during Ex Swift Response
The Wildcat helicopters of 661 Squadron having provided vital reconnaissance data to have enemy ant-aircraft capability destroyed allows the CH47 Chinooks to sweep in and deliver ground troops onto the target area.
The arm patch insignia of the Wildcat aircrew bearing the Maple leaf of the Army Air Corps’ 661 Squadron.
The Wildcat is a far more versatile aircraft and can be configured to perform a multitude of differing roles. It provides a rapid and scaled aviation options meaning it can operate individually or in multiple formations.
A currently evolving role for the Wildcat is that of being a FAC (A), or to give it its long form a Forward Air Controller (Airborne). In any battle space that involves aviation assets you will find a JTAC, the Joint Tactical Air Controller.
Conventionally, this is an individual on the ground who is embedded with all the communication call signs and being fed intelligence and data from all manner of sources, be that satellite, unmanned aerial vehicles or, indeed, other Wildcat helicopters operating in their reconnaissance role.
That person, armed with the necessary critical info then manages the battle space aerial assets to ensure the right aircraft, carrying the appropriate weaponry, is vectored onto the right target and destroys it.
We’d fly out to a location. Utilising our sensors, we’d fix the target by using our laser target designator to get an accurate grid. Once we’ve got that we’d relay that back over and request the use of guns and that would be forward on to an artillery radio net and that gun call sign would then conduct the necessary fires to achieve the effect
With so many different aircraft types entering the battle space: fast jets, helicopters or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) it is the JTAC’s responsibility to keep everyone, apart from enemy targets, safe and to ensure deconfliction among friendly forces.
As mentioned, the orthodox methodology is to have that person on the ground; however, should they find themselves in a contact situation and need to go ‘hatches down’ the battle space aerial management can be passed to a Wildcat crew who will take it on as in the FAC(A) role. It is the Wildcat air crews who assume this responsibility, gradually more and more are becoming trained up for this role allowing them to take on far more complex missions.
The primary role of the Wildcat is that of a reconnaissance platform, meaning that it will operate in the divisional deep battle space – to put that into context when fighting an enemy there are three ‘spaces’: the rear, where all the support, repair and re-supply is done; the close, here is where the main fight takes place and lastly deep, this up to and often behind enemy lines to gather intelligence data and information through reconnaissance missions.
The Wildcat performs this critical task, finding targets, fixing them and then using its data link connectivity relay that information to have strikes called in through the JTAC or another Wildcat operating as a FAC(A). This is very much its unique selling point – it can increase the punch of battlegroup by integrating and directing all of its combat power capability. In essence it ‘shapes’ the enemy or rather softens its ability to fight prior to any main assault.
Warrant Officer Class Two John Holmes, 12 years an Army Air Corps pilot and now a Wildcat helicopter commander explained a typical scenario:
“We’d fly out to a location. Utilising our sensors, we’d fix the target by using our laser target designator to get an accurate grid.
"Once we’ve got that we’d relay that back over and request the use of guns and that would be forward on to an artillery radio net and that gun call sign would then conduct the necessary fires to achieve the effect.”
The Wildcat can be armed with either a general-purpose machine gun when in a defensive posture or it can mount the fearsome M3M 50 calibre machine gun when being used as close air support for ground troops.
It was in action during Exercise Swift Response in the Baltic state of Estonia; the exercise was just one of the constituent elements of the Steadfast Defender series of exercises – the largest deployment of British troops in a generation involving some 18,000 soldiers involved in 11 separate exercises on mainland Europe. The Wildcats of 661 Squadron AAC formed part of the Aviation Task Force 1 along with the Apache AH 64Es and the CH-47 Chinooks.
The aim of the exercise was to seize and hold an airfield by landing a battlegroup of British Paratroopers onto the target of Kiltsi, a former soviet era air base and now disused. Guided by the Wildcat’s reconnaissance data, the Apaches were sent in to soften the target and destroy any enemy anti-aircraft capability before the Chinooks swooped to land the Paras. Once again, the Wildcats were called in to action and this time it was to provide that very effective close air support as the Paras took on enemy targets on the ground.
The multi-role capability of the Wildcat means that the Army Air Corps’ 661 Squadron that operates these aircraft from its base in Yeovilton is preparing to support Operation Ventus, the British Government’s disaster relief contribution in the event of any Caribbean hurricane humanity crises.
It would see two of the Wildcats transported by Royal Air Force C17 transport aircraft to be forward deployed in the Caribbean. Such is its versatility; these aircraft will be fitted with a winching system meaning it would be used in a search and rescue role and then be able to extract people form dangerous situations. Pilots and aircraft commanders are being trained to perform deck landings so as to transfer victims to hospital ships as well as to transport stores and equipment.
Reconnaissance, forward air mounted battle management, aggressive close air support and humanitarian disaster relief to name but a few of the roles a Wildcat helicopter can find itself doing.
Unsung hero, perhaps but its versatility and application are definitely unsurpassed.