Army Aviation refers to aviation

Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...

-related units of a nation's army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

, often described as an air corps. These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...

, and usually comprise helicopters

Military helicopter

A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion...

 and light support fixed-wing aircraft

Fixed-wing aircraft

A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...

.

Tasks

The tasks of each army's aviation units are defined slightly different, depending on nationality. Some general characteristics, however, apply to all army aviation units regardless of provenience:

• Logistic and battlefield support
• Tactical transport both internally and externally, of personnel and material
• Assault duties and anti-tank warfare
  Anti-tank warfare
  Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...
  
  
• Search and rescue
  Search and rescue
  Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
  
  
• Medical evacuation
• Reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance
  Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
  
   and fire support
  Fire support
  Fire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...
  
   in a combined arms team
• Surveillance
  Surveillance aircraft
  A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
  
  
• Liaison
• Flying training
• Disaster relief
  Emergency management
  Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
  
  

Equipment

In order to fulfill their manifold tasks, army aviation mostly uses helicopters. These helicopters can be classified into the following types:

• Attack helicopter
  Attack helicopter
  An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...
  
  s for close air support of ground troops and anti-tank role
• Transport helicopters
• Observation helicopters
• Utility helicopter
  Utility helicopter
  A Utility Helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter. A utility military helicopter can fill roles such as ground attack, air assault, cargo, surveillance and troop transport. Their size is generally between cargo helicopters and light observation helicopters....
  
  s
• CSAR
  Combat search and rescue
  Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
  
  , Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC)/MEDEVAC helicopters
• Training helicopters
  Military helicopter
  A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion...
  
  

List of national army aviation components

• Argentine Army Aviation
  Argentine Army Aviation
  The Argentine Army Aviation is the army aviation branch of the Argentine Army...
  
  
• Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)
• German Army Aviation Corps
• Army Aviation Corps (India)
  Army Aviation Corps (India)
  The Army Aviation Corps is a component of the Indian Army formed on 2 November 1987. The Army aviation has 365+ helicopter and UAV flights operated by 10 squadrons...
  
  
• Australian Army Aviation
  Australian Army Aviation
  Australian Army Aviation is a corps of the Australian Army, and was formed on 1 July 1968 with a strength of 106 officer pilots, although it has a history dating back to 1911, when the Minister of Defence at the time, Senator George Pearce, decided there should be a flying school in the Defence...
  
  
• Brazilian Army Aviation Command
  Brazilian Army Aviation Command
  The Brazilian Army Aviation Command is a component of the Brazilian Army containing the army's helicopter units.-Tasks :The task of the Brazilian Army Aviation Command is to provide organic airmobility and support the ground forces by providing tactical air support, close air support and...
  
  
• Colombian National Army Aviation
  Colombian National Army Aviation
  The Colombian National Army Aviation is an aviation combat arms unit in the Colombian National Army. Its history dates back to December 31, 1919, but was not fully developed until August 25, 1995 when this unit is officially activated under the name "Aviación Ejército" The Army Aviation was...
  
  
• French Army Light Aviation
  French Army Light Aviation
  The French Army Light Aviation is the aviation service of the French Army.-History:The French Army Light Aviation was established on 22 November 1954 for observation, reconnaissance, assault and supply duties.-Composition:...
  
  
• Indonesian Army Aviation
• Iranian Army Aviation
• Italian Army Aviation
• Malaysian Army Aviation
• Portuguese Army Light Aviation Unit
• Spanish Army Airmobile Force
• Republic of Korea Army Aviation
• United States Army Aviation Branch
  United States Army Aviation Branch
  The Aviation Branch of the United States Army is the administrative organization within the Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation units....