Brize Brit…yet more (JATE)
This from the JATEU web site….
The Joint Air Transport Evaluation Unit (JATEU) has it origins in the Army’s Airborne Forces Development Centre (AFDC), located at Amesbury Abbey, and the RAF’s Airborne Forces Tactical Development Unit (AFTDU) at Tarrant Rushton. These units were amalgamated into the Army Air Transport Development Unit (ATDU) located at RAF Abingdon.
In January 1968, the Joint Air Transport Establishment (JATE) was formed with its headquarters at Old Sarum, Wiltshire which at the time was also the home of the Joint Warfare Establishment (JWE) and the Army Air Transport Development Centre (AATDC). The initial JATE Organisation was based on a consortium of three separate units, operating under the co-ordinated control of Headquarters JATE. The three units in question comprised of the Army’s long serving AATDC, AFTDU and a new organisation titled the Joint Helicopter Development Unit, (JHDU). The JHDU added a Naval presence within the JATE organisation. There was a close link between JWE and JATE with the post of JATE Commandant being combined with the Deputy Commandant at JWE.
In 1970 the MOD decided JATE should be based entirely at RAF Abingdon (the home of ATDU) and the close ties with JWE ceased. It was also decided that the main element of JHDU should become independent of JATE and remain at Old Sarum under the new title of Joint Helicopter Tactical Development Unit (JHTDU). JATE retained one section, made up of personnel of AATDC’s Helicopter Section, concerned with helicopter underslung loads, internal load clearance work and techniques for carriage of troops by helicopter.
The move to Abingdon was completed in February 1973. In combination with the move, a more unified structure was introduced. The separate identities of AATDC and ATDU were formally discarded although the various sections remained identifiable with their earlier affiliations. Under the new structure the sections comprised: Heavy Drop, Air Despatch, Airportability, Infantry/Signals and Training Sections (all ex-AATDC), together with Air Logistics and Aircraft Engineering Sections (ATDU background), Helicopter Section (JHDU/AATDC background) Design Drawing Office (made up of personnel from both AATDC and ATDU) and Flying Section (Hercules aircraft) which was special to JATE.
As a result of a government defence review in 1974, it was decided to move JATE to RAF Brize Norton . Thus on 31 December 1975 JATE HQ was formally established at its present site.
While it gives us nothing on the airframe, it helps with the overall picture.
Pete Webber
Sign In
