Awarded to an individual, a complete aircraft crew, or an organisation, for an outstanding performance of airmanship, for the operation of airborne systems or for the development of air navigation techniques and equipment.

 

2010 awarded to: ATTACK HELICOPTER FORCE (‘UK TEAM APACHE’)

 

The UK’s Attack Helicopter (AH) Force is based at Wattisham Flying Station, Suffolk, and operates a forward fleet drawn from a total of 67 Apache all fitted with the Longbow radar.  The Force comprises 3 Regiment AAC and 4 Regiment AAC which have three squadrons each, supported by 7 Battalion REME and a host of contractors.  The principal contractors, in terms of delivering Operational Capability, are Agusta-Westland, Boeing, Serco, Rolls Royce and Lockheed Martin.  The AH Force could not operate without sustained and highly professional support from the MoD’s Project Office based in Yeovil and Abbey Wood, and the training support given from the Army Aviation Centre based at Middle Wallop. The term used to try and encapsulate the whole Force (both military and civilian) is ‘UK Team Apache’.  The efforts, on behalf of HMG, of the entire ‘UK Team Apache’ is a huge and sustained team effort. The operational output of UK Team Apache is the responsibility of the relatively newly formed AH Force HQ, based at Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk.

This year, the Attack Helicopter Force (AHF) surpassed the significant milestone of 100,000 flying hours; this is the equivalent of spending 4,167 days or  139 months or almost 11 and a half years airborne, non stop, in one type of aircraft. About a third of this total has been completed on operations in Afghanistan where the AHF has been committed since 2006.  To sustain the effect required in Afghanistan squadrons rotate on a four month cycle, usually deploying 150 personnel to support up to 12 aircraft.  The AHF has been so successful in its missions of Deterrence, Fire Support and Situational Awareness that it regularly flies right up to the maximum allocation of 650 flying hours per month, the equivalent of flying one aircraft 22 hours in every 24. Fire support is provided almost on a daily basis from the ‘Hellfire’ missiles, 30mm cannon and, up until recently, the CRV7 rockets.  The new Extended Range fuel tanks have increased mission time to over four hours for each aircraft throughout the year, which in itself enhances flexibility and operational capability.  The UK AHF usually provides for the Air Mission Commander multi-ship missions because of its ability to see and control vast swathes of the battlefield. This is due entirely to the technologically advanced mission systems with which the Apache is fitted, and the high level of availability of the machine (some 80%); when this is coupled with the skill of the aircrew the UK’s AHF offers a potent mix to commanders on the ground.  This is why the Apache has become the weapon of first choice in counter insurgency operations. The skill and bravery of the Apache crews has been recognised by the award of some two DFCs, three MCs, one MID and two QCVS, plus many other citations at 4 star and 2 star level.  In terms of ensuring that the right targets are selected, prosecuted, and recorded the judgements made by Apache aircrew in the cockpit are routinely at the strategic level, which has led to the AHF being a world leader in developing ‘Judgemental Training’ and a ‘Just Culture’. It is worth recording that some Apache crews have deployed to Afghanistan five times, and one ground crew member (an armourer) has completed six tours (a total of two years on operations) since 2006. Whilst supporting operations in Afghanistan the AHF also developed Operational Capability to support Littoral Manoeuvre during 2010 and 2011; the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures devised are now being tested to the full by a deployment to the Mediterranean.

Formal recognition of the sustained effort by the entire ‘UK Team Apache’, and in particular the Attack Helicopter Force, is made by the worthy award of the Johnston Memorial Trophy.

 

Previous Winners

1931 Sir Francis Chichester

1932 Squadron Leader Herbert/ J L Hinkler Esq

1933 J A Mollison Esq

1934 E W Percival Esq

1935 Not Awarded

1936 Miss Jean Batten

1937 A S Wilcockson Esq

1938 D C T Bennett Esq

1939-46 Not Awarded

1947 W H Crowther Esq/ R B Tapp Esq/ L R Ambrose Esq QANTAS

1948 Captain P G Taylor

1949 Not Awarded

1950 Captain P G Taylor

1951 Not Awarded

1952 Captains and Crew of Service Aircraft "Aries"

1953 Pilots and Navigators of Comet Fleet BOAC

1954 Not Awarded

1955 Captain J H Saffery and Pilots and Navigators of Hunting Aero Surveys on Antartic Expedition

1956 Not Awarded

1957 Squadron Leader J H Lewis, Commanding the RAF Detachment Unit with the British Commonwealth Trans-Antartic Expedition

1958 Captain and Navigational Crews of the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment

1959 The Decca Navigator Company Limited

1960 Not Awarded

1961 G E Beck Esq/ M Morgan Esq of Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co.

1962 Wing Commander D F H Grocott

1963-66 Not Awarded

1967 Wing Commander E W Anderson

1968-72 Not Awarded

1973 Flt Lt R M S Cook / Flt Lt R W Hardisty

1974 Flt Lt E G Candlish/ Flt Lt J Vinales

1975 Not Awarded

1976 W P Robinson Esq

1977 The Royal Air Force Tanker Wing

1978 Not Awarded

1979 Captain G Vette/ M Forsyth Esq

1980-81 Not Awarded

1982 Commander S C Thornwill

1983-84 Not Awarded

1985 The Giotto Space Probe Navigation Team

1986 The Voyager Team

1987 Not Awarded

1988 Wing Commander Raymond L Lomas RAF

1989 Peter Norvill Esq

1990-93 Not Awarded

1994 Flt Lt J W Hendy

1995 Captain Alex Fisher

1996 Captain David Massy-Greene QANTAS

1997 James C Lawson Esq

1998 Jon Johanson

1999 Flight Lieutenant David Wilson RAF

2000 Thomas Beverley Nichols

2001 Flight Lieutenant Timothy Carr

2002 Geoffrey Alan Burtenshaw

2003 Number 33 Squadron RAF

2004 Not Awarded

2005 Sea King Mk7 Trials Team

    Lieutenant Commander Tite RN, Lieutenant Commander Ling RN,
    Lieutenant Commander Smith RNR, Lieutenant Commander Richardson RN (retd)

2006 Boeing J0UCAS Programme X-45A

2007 815 Naval Air Squadron Training Team

2008 5 (AC) Squadron

2009 51 Squadron RAF

2010 Attack Helicopter Force ("UK Team Apache")