5th Aviation Regiment ( Australia ) The 5th Aviation Regiment ( 5 Avn Regt ) is an Australian Army aviation unit . The Regiment is based at Townsville and operates the majority of the Army ' s transport helicopters . The Regiment currently forms part of the 16th ( Aviation ) Brigade . History . The 5th Aviation Regiment was formed at Townsville , Queensland on 20 November 1987 to operate the S - 70A - 9 Blackhawk and UH - 1 Iroquois helicopters which had previously been operated by the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) following the decision to transfer these assets to the Australian Army . In 1989 No . 9 Squadron RAAF ( S - 70A ) became the Regiment ' s ' A ' Squadron and No . 35 Squadron RAAF ( UH - 1 ) became ' B ' Squadron . ' B ' Squadron was later re - equipped with Blackhawks . The Regiment was expanded in 1995 when ' C ' Squadron was formed to operate CH - 47 Chinook and UH - 1 Iroquois helicopters ( the later in the aerial fire support role ) . These Iroquois helicopters were transferred to the 1st Aviation Regiment in 1998 . In late 2003 ' A ' Squadron and the UH - 1 equipped 171st Squadron swapped designations , with the former ' A ' Squadron becoming an independent squadron supporting Special Operations Command ( Australia ) . The ' new ' ( UH - 1 equipped ) ' A ' Squadron subsequently re - equipped with 12 MRH - 90 medium helicopters and ' B ' Squadron will also be equipped with these aircraft by 2015 . Since its formation elements of the Regiment have made operational deployments to Cambodia , Papua New Guinea , East Timor , Iraq , Indonesia and Pakistan . A detachment of two CH - 47 Chinook helicopters from the Regiment was deployed to Afghanistan between late March 2006 and April 2007 . In early 2008 two Chinooks were deployed with RWG 1 and than again with RWG 2 in June 2008 as part of Operation Slipper where they took part in combat operations . These operations continued in 2009 and 2010 . Eight Blackhawks were deployed to East Timor in May 2006 as part of Operation Astute . Three Blackhawks helped distribute aid to victims of flooding in Oro Province , Papua New Guinea in late 2007 as part of Operation Papua New Guinea Assist . On 31 May 2011 , Chinook from C Squadron crashed while operating in Afghanistan . The aircraft was conducting a re - supply mission in company with a US Army Chinook in Zabul Province when it crashed , injuring six personnel on board . The most seriously wounded , passenger Lieutenant Marcus Case , was evacuated by the accompanying US Army helicopter but later died of his injuries . He was an Australian Army pilot deployed with No . 5 Flight RAAF at Kandahar . The other five injured survived the crash and were evacuated to Kandahar . The helicopter , a CH - 47D ( ADF serial A15 - 102 ) attached to the US Army 159th Combat Aviation Brigade at Kandahar , was assessed as being unrecoverable and was subsequently destroyed at the site of the crash . There was no insurgent activity at the time of the crash , and enemy fire was ruled out as a contributing cause . The eleventh , and final , deployment of 5th Aviation Regiment personnel and Chinooks to Afghanistan was completed on 14 September 2013 . Current structure . The 5th Aviation Regiment currently consists of :