Originally, the Royal Flying Corps was part of the Army before it was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service in April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. It was not until nearly forty years later that the Army was to control its own air support again. The Army Air Corps (AAC) was formed on 1 Sep 1957 by the amalgamation of the ex RAF Air Observation Post (AOP) squadrons and the ex RAF Light Liaison Flights, which themselves formed when the glider units from the Second World War were disbanded. The first helicopters entered AAC service to support the ground forces around 1962 in Aden, Malaysia and Kenya with the Alouette II, Scout and Sioux.  The Army Air Corps role is to fly combat missions, provide combat support and combat service support to the UK Field Army and NATO ground forces. Its role has recently been supplemented by the formation of Joint Helicopter Command, which has integrated the RAF troop and vehicle carrying support helicopters under a single command. The AAC is organised into six Regiments (each with two or three Squadrons), one Training Regiment and a number of independent Squadrons and smaller Flights.
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