Wattisham Airfield

Wattisham Airfield Wattisham Flying Station
Wattisham, Suffolk
EGUW Shown within Suffolk
Coordinates	52°07′37″N 000°57′21″E / 52.12694°N 0.95583°E / 52.12694; 0.95583Coordinates: 52°07′37″N 000°57′21″E / 52.12694°N 0.95583°E / 52.12694; 0.95583
Type	Army Air Corps airfield
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Controlled by	British Army's Army Air Corps
Site history
Built	1913 (1913)
In use	1913-Present
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: EGUW
Elevation	87 metres (285 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 05/23 2,424 metres (7,953 ft) Asphalt
Sources: World Aero Data

Wattisham Airfield (ICAO: EGUW) is the biggest centralised operational Army Airfield in the UK, located next to the small village of Wattisham in Suffolk, England. It is home to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps and 4 Regiment Army Air Corps. They are part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, whose headquarters is at Colchester. They fly the Westland WAH-64 Apache, as well as the Westland Lynx helicopters.

Also located at Wattisham is No 7 Air Assault Battalion REME with a helicopter repair facility with worldwide capability, 132 Aviation Supply Unit and the Royal Logistics Corps. The RAF maintains a presence at the airfield with the Brigade Parachute Squadron RAF.

Apart from the military, the police helicopter unit for Suffolk Constabulary also operates from Wattisham as well as the Anglia Gliding Club (which, in fact, is the oldest serving member of Wattisham, having been there as a RAFGSA club when the RAF occupied). Also resident is No 1287 Sqn, Air Training Corps.

The airfield covers a site of 1,072 acres (434 ha). There are 2,000 troops stationed on site with 600 houses for married personnel between Wattisham, Hadleigh and Ipswich. There are 300 HGVs, 200 Land Rovers, over 40 military helicopters and the Suffolk Police Eurocopter as well as casual access for 2 Air Ambulances.