Eskadrille 723

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Eskadrille 723 (Squadron 723) was founded on 8 January 1951. It is a Royal Danish Air Force helicopter squadron, part of the Helicopter Wing Karup, and based at Karup Air Base. Its motto is Valet Vigilat.

The Danish Navy’s air arm, Søværnets Flyvetjeneste, operated eight Westland Lynx helicopters for fishery patrols, shipboard support and coastal search-and-rescue. This work and its aircraft were gradually moved into the air force as Eskadrille 723.

History in brief:
- The Navy’s air service began as a flight within Eskadrille 722 in 1962 with the Alouette III, became its own unit in 1977, and was called Søværnets Flyvetjeneste (Naval Air Service).
- From 1980 to 1982, the Alouettes were replaced by Westland Lynx helicopters.
- In 2000 there was a plan to transfer Søværnets Flyvetjeneste to the air force as Eskadrille 728, but only the Army’s aviation unit moved (as 724); the rest moved to Karup.
- On 1 January 2004, the Naval Air Service was renamed the Naval Air Squadron, and its helicopters and duties were transferred to the air force as Eskadrille 723.

Recent events and basing:
- A Danish navy helicopter helped foil a pirate attack off the Somali coast on 28 August 2010.
- Vaerlose was the naval air base until military budget cuts; it closed as a military base in 2004 and was opened to civilian use in 2008. Karup has been the main Danish helicopter base since 2004.
- The Westland Lynx is being replaced with a new helicopter, with the Sikorsky Seahawk MH60-R ordered for future use.