The Iron Titan exercise organized by the English Armed Forces qualified the 3rd Regiment of the Royal Army Air Corps for combat operations. This is a big step for English combat helicopters: this regiment, using the brand new AH-64E, is the first to receive this qualification.
Fit for combat
In January 2022, two years after the arrival of first two AH-64E on English soil, the Royal Army Air Corps (AAC) formalized the entry into service of its AH-64E Apache combat helicopters. Little by little, the 3rd Regiment of the AAC gained strength with numerous increasingly important tests and exercises. The final test took place during the Iron Titan exercise, bringing together 8,000 soldiers from the 3rd division. This exercise sees the deployment of these soldiers in nearly 22 different areas, spread across the regions of South West England, West Midlands and Wales. For six weeks, the Apaches of the 3rd Rg AAC then carried out numerous operations, sometimes illuminated by Wildcat Mk. 1 reconnaissance:
- deployment from Wattisham base to several temporary positions
- attack missions on simulated enemies
- resupply from forward resupply areas
- …
The regiment (and its new Apaches) thus proved that it was capable of combat and was now deployable according to the needs of the British Army:
- intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) mission
- escort and/or force protection
- offensive strikes on various land or maritime targets
- …
