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UK EH101 Merlin Helicopters Expand Role-Change Capabilities
Royal Navy Captain Chris Palmer has been at Farnborough to extol the capabilities of the beefy EH101 Merlin H.1 helicopter, which he says the RN regards as "the most advanced in-service helicopter in the world." Merlin prowess was demonstrated in the type's first combat deployment in Operation Telic in Iraq, during which an amazing 90% aircraft availability was achieved. This was accompanied by a wide expansion of operational applications, for which the Merlin's large cabin and heavy-lift capabilities were further exploited.
During these operations, a full role-change, from removal of sonar and other unwanted anti-submarine warfare systems, proved to be achievable in about 14 hours, instead of some three weeks required for its Westland/Sikorsky Sea King predecessors. This allowed the Merlins to be used for such varying roles as flying-cranes-including lifting army howitzers in the field-troop and cargo transport, force protection, and surveillance and maritime patrol.
Lockheed Martin is contributing towards a co-operative integration
program, with Britain's MoD-related QinetiQ military equipment service
trials and installation specialists at Boscombe Down, AgustaWestland,
and the RN, on an operational concept program for an electro-optical
sensor pod for the Merlin HM.1s. Additional surveillance and anti-surface
warfare capabilities are expected from the pod's Wescam (Canada)
LLTV and IR sensors, with which development is well advanced. This
has included operational use on drug interdiction in the Caribbean,
while the RN's No 700 Squadron is involved in trials on expanding
sonar capability.
—John Fricker
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