Royal Navy AgustaWestland AW101

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merlin hm2 on hms illustrious


the rn s final order 44 asw aircraft, designated merlin has.1 changed merlin hm1. first operational merlin delivered on 17 may 1997, entering service on 2 june 2000. aircraft delivered end of 2002, , operated 4 fleet air arm squadrons: 814 nas, 820 nas, 824 nas , 829 nas, based @ rnas culdrose in cornwall. 700 nas merlin operational evaluation unit 2000 2008. in march 2004, navy merlins temporarily grounded following incident @ rnas culdrose in tail rotor failed due manufacturing defect. improved tail rotor designed , adopted on aw101s; according agustawestland, redesigned rotor reduced associated maintenance.


in 1995, announced navy s westland lynx helicopters retired in favour of all-merlin fleet. however, subsequent 2010 sdsr stated future naval helicopters merlin , wildcat, derivative of lynx. royal navy merlins have seen action in caribbean, on counter-narcotics , hurricane support duties, maritime security duties in persian gulf. merlins have seen active duty in iraq, providing support british , coalition forces based in region.



a merlin hm1 hms monmouth flight, 829 nas, 2007


the merlin hm1 has been cleared operate royal navy s aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, type 23 frigates , several royal fleet auxiliary (rfa) vessels including fort victoria-class; equip type 45 destroyer. 30 aircraft have been upgraded merlin hm2 standard under £750m merlin capability sustainment programme; lockheed martin uk delivered final hm2 on 11 july 2016. hm2 has new mission system, digital cockpit, electro-optical camera , multi-static processing sonar system. hm2 performed first ship-borne test flight in september 2012 , achieved ioc on 30 june 2014, after 9 hm2 had flown 480 hours illustrious during exercise deep blue earlier month. reported of 8 airframes not scheduled upgraded financial reasons may updated.


five hm2s in maintenance @ 1 time, leaving 25 available @ readiness, of 14 assigned queen elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. in addition anti-submarine role, hm2 able carry airborne warning (aew) pod under procurement through crowsnest programme replace sea king asac7. in september 2011, thales uk proposed re-using sea king asac7 equipment, such searchwater 2000, on merlin; lockheed martin has proposed developing new multi-functional sensor either aw101 or other aircraft. lockheed planned use derivative of f-35 s apg-81 radar believed using elta system; both , thales system begin flight trials in summer of 2014 main gate in 2016. ten pods planned ioc in 2019. on 22 may 2015, mod , lockheed martin uk, prime contractor crowsnest, selected thales chosen bidder provide radar , mission system @ heart of crowsnest capability.


on 15 december 2009, plans announced transfer raf merlin hc3s , hc3as royal navy s commando helicopter force replace retiring sea king hc4 helicopters. sea king set retire in 2016, leaving navy operating combination of wildcat , merlin. 846 nas reformed ex-raf merlin hc3s on 30 september 2014; 845 nas followed on 9 july 2015.








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