Prince Harry is to follow in the footsteps of his brother and become a military helicopter pilot, Clarence House announced last night.

He will attend a special four-week course to assess whether he has the skills to embark on a full training programme. If successful, he will be trained by the Army Air Corps in Apache, Lynx or Gazelle helicopters.

The Prince, 24, who completed a pilot aptitude test this month at RAF Cranwell, will be based at Middle Wallop in Hampshire for up to 2½ years.

He asked to join the Army Air Corps after 2½ years serving with the Household Cavalry Regiment, which included ten weeks in southern Afghanistan.

No decision has been made about which helicopter the Prince will fly but if he becomes an Apache pilot – a highly regarded role - he would be expected to complete a tour in Afghanistan.

Prince William is already trained as a helicopter pilot, having completed a course in a Squirrel helicopter as part of his detachment to the RAF.

Both princes joined the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry after attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

While Prince Harry has stayed with the Army, Prince William has spent time with all three Armed Forces. Both will remain lieutenants in the Blues and Royals.

Harry acquired intimate knowledge of the operating capability of the Army Air Corps and the RAF when he served as a forward air controller with the Household Cavalry in southern Afghanistan this year, directing air attacks on Taleban targets from forward locations.

Clarence House said that if he completed the full Army flying course, the Prince would be posted to an Army Air Corps regiment, serving on attachment from the Household Cavalry. “Such an attachment would not require him to leave the Blues and Royals,” a spokesman said.

Prince Harry has chosen to seek selection with the Army Air Corps now because he has completed his tour of duty as a troop leader with the Household Cavalry Regiment at Windsor. “Such a move is quite common for young officers at this stage in their army career,” the spokesman said.

Harry’s tour of duty in Afghanistan as a forward air controller was cut short after news of his presence in Helmand province leaked out, prompting concerns that he and his comrades would face “unacceptable” risks.

However, General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, said earlier this year he hoped that it would be possible for the Prince to serve alongside his men again like any other officer.

Apaches have added significant firepower and flexibility to the British force in Helmand province, as they are armed with Hellfire missiles. They also include radar equipment that can track up to 256 targets at once and a 30mm chain gun that fires 625 rounds a minute.

One of the eight Apaches serving in Helmand has been lost after crash-landing in a dust storm.

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