| 658 Squadron AAC No. 8 Flight AAC No. 658 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II in 2010 | |
| Active | 30 April 1943 – 15 October 1946 (RAF)[1] 1 September 2013 – Present[2] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Army aviation |
| Role | Aerial reconnaissance Air assault Airlift Combat search and rescue Counterterrorism ISTAR Medical evacuation Special operations support |
| Size | Squadron |
| Part of | Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Stirling Lines |
| Nickname(s) | Blue Thunder |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Videmus Delemus (Translation: "We see and destroy")[2] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Helicopter | Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II |
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.[3] The squadron is co-located with 22 SAS at Stirling Lines.[4] The press has given the squadron, their helicopters, and the CT response force they enable, the nickname "Blue Thunder".[5][6][7] The squadron is part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.[8]
- ^ "658 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Facebookwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Rogoway, Tyler (4 June 2017). "About That "Blue Thunder" Counter-Terror Chopper That Landed On London Bridge". The Drive. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
tasked with supporting ... the Special Air Service ... on domestic counter-terror ops
- ^ Thomas, James (25 August 2022). "Watch: SAS Blue Thunder helicopter filmed at Herefordshire airfield". Hereford Times. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
There are reportedly six of these Dauphin helicopters for 658 Squadron Army Air Corps, and they're based at the SAS camp in Credenhill, supporting 22nd Special Air Service (22 SAS).
- ^ "This is why the SAS Blue Thunder helicopter is flying over Yorkshire today". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
The SAS aircraft is nicknamed 'Blue Thunder'
- ^ Demerly, Tom. "This wild viral video likely shows a UK 'Blue Thunder' special operator helicopter flying low through fog". Business Insider. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II, nicknamed "Blue Thunder" by the British tabloids
- ^ "SAS 'Blue Thunder' unit 'lands in London Bridge following atrocity'". The Independent. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
An elite SAS unit nicknamed 'Blue Thunder' is believed to have landed by helicopter on London Bridge...Blue Thunder, who act on orders from the Home Secretary, are a 70-man strong unit formed after the 2015 Paris attacks and trained in tackling domestic terror scenarios.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
RAFJSFAWwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).