In the draw made following the completion of the second round matches today, Glenn Roeder's men were the 29th team picked out of the hat and were paired with Forest, currently flying high in third place in the First Divison.
The match will mark the first FA Cup clash between the two sides since the infamous semi-final at Villa Park in April 1991, when referee Keith Hackett sent off Tony Gale and Hammers eventually went down 4-0.
The match will take place on the weekend of January 4/5, with TV schedules yet to be confirmed. Ticket details will appear on the site soon.
Other noteworthy third round ties include the visit of Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth to Manchester United and several all-Premiership affairs, with Chelsea playing host to Middlesbrough, Manchester City clashing with Liverpool at Maine Road, Sunderland travelling to fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers, Fulham playing Birmingham City, Aston Villa against Blackburn Rovers and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur facing a trip to Southampton.