663 Squadron

Motto: “We Fly For The Guns”

663 Squadron was formed as a Polish manned RAF squadron in Northern Italy on 14th August 1944.

After the Second World War the squadron disbanded on 29th October 1946.

After a period as a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron it was re-formed as an Army Air Corps squadron in October 1969 flying Sioux helicopters over Salisbury Plain.

A force restructure saw 663 Squadron become part of 3 Regiment at Soest, West Germany, and it was from there in 1993 that the unit moved to Wattisham with it’s Lynx and Gazelle helicopters.

During its time at Wattisham, it deployed the Gazelle AH1s and Lynx AH7s to support Operation Telic in Iraq.

More recently the squadron traded in its Gazelles and Lynxes for a dedicated attack helicopter in the guise of the Westland Apache AH1 Longbow, and it was with this aircraft that 663 squadron deployed to Afghanistan on numerous occasions for Operation Herrick.

663 Squadron continues to fly from Wattisham as part of 3 Regiment.

Apache AH1