British Army Wildcat reconnaissance helicopters on deployment in Lithuania.

Four AH1 Wildcat helicopters with the British Army Air Corps No. 659 Squadron have been deployed to Lithuania in support of NATO’s multinational battlegroups in the Baltic states.

Designed to serve as a utility, search-and-rescue and light attack helicopter, the Wildcat can fly low, move quickly and get into positions that other aircraft can’t access. This makes them a natural complement to the NATO battlegroups in the Baltic states, where their mobility helps troops manoeuvre around the dense forests.

Since deploying in March 2022, the Wildcats have joined several exercises, helping troops from the multinational battlegroups learn how to use the aircraft to their advantage.

The Wildcats will fly missions out of Šiauliai Air Base until they redeploy in June.
Footage includes shots of Wildcats in flight, and on the tarmac. Interviews include those with British Army Air Corps Captain Kate and Captain Jack from No. 659 Squadron.

“So, in terms of our mission out here, we have deployed forward as part of the enhanced Forward Presence. We’re working very closely alongside all those deployed out here. And we’ve had an excellent opportunity, actually, to work really closely in a way that we wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to do, particularly with the countries across the B3 [the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania]. And specifically, Lithuania, where we are at the moment. So, we’ve really built those relationships. We’ve really built those training opportunities to work alongside NATO partners in a way that we normally wouldn’t get the opportunity to do.”

“The Wildcat is a small manoeuvrable aircraft that allows us to fly low, move quick and get into positions where we can observe the enemy. We work closely with JTACs (Joint Terminal Attack Controllers) on the ground to coordinate strikes onto targets, and with the suite of radios we have, it allows us to coordinate both – with other air users as well as people on the ground.”