fbpx
Wikipedia

AgustaWestland AW101

January 29, 2023

The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirements for a modern naval utility helicopter. Several operators, including the armed forces of Britain, Denmark, and Portugal, use the name Merlin for their AW101 aircraft.[3][4] It is manufactured at factories in Yeovil, England, and Vergiate, Italy. Licensed assembly work has also taken place in Japan and the United States.

AW101
An Italian Navy AW101
Role Anti-submarine warfare, medium-lift transport, search and rescue and utility helicopter
National origin United Kingdom/Italy
Manufacturer
First flight 9 October 1987
Introduction 1999[2]
Status In service
Primary users Royal Navy
Produced 1990s–present
Variants

Prior to 2007, the aircraft had been marketed under the designation EH101. The original designation was EHI 01, from the name given to the Anglo-Italian joint venture—European Helicopter Industries—but a transcription error changed this to EH101.[5] In 2000, Westland Helicopters and Agusta merged to form AgustaWestland, leading to the type's current designation.

The AW101 entered into service in 1999 and has since replaced several older helicopter types, such as the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, performing roles such as medium-sized transport, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and ship-based utility operations. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operates the CH-149 Cormorant variant for air-sea rescue. Another variant, the Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel, was produced to serve in the United States presidential transport fleet before the program was cancelled and the aircraft sold off to Canada for parts. Civil operators use the AW101 for passenger and VIP transportation. The type has been deployed to active combat theatres, such as in support of coalition forces during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.

Development

Origins

In 1977, the UK Ministry of Defence issued a requirement for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter to replace the Royal Navy's Westland Sea Kings, which were becoming inadequate in the face of advances in Soviet submarine technology. Westland Helicopters put together a proposal, designated WG.34, for a three-engined helicopter of similar dimensions to the Sea King; the WG.34 was to feature more autonomy and a greater range than its predecessor.[6] At the same time, the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) was also considering the replacement of its fleet of Sea Kings, which had been built by the Italian company Agusta; Westland and Agusta soon began talks regarding the joint development of a successor helicopter.[7]

Agusta and Westland finalised an agreement to work on the project together, and formed a jointly owned new company, EH Industries Limited (EHI), to pursue the development and marketing of the new helicopter to potential operators. On 12 June 1981, the UK government confirmed its participation in the project, allocated an initial budget of £20 million to develop nine pre-series examples.[8] A major agreement, which secured funding for the majority of the EH101's development program, was signed by both the British and Italian governments in 1984.[9] At the 1985 Paris Air Show, Agusta showed a mock-up of a utility version of the new helicopter, leading to a more generalised design that could be customised to meet the needs of various civilian or military customers. The first prototype flew on 9 October 1987.[10]

In 1987, Canada selected the EH101 to replace their Sea Kings in the anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue roles. The EH101's third engine and increased range compared favorably with rival aircraft, such as the Sikorsky Seahawk. The range and de-icing capability were also seen as vital for North Atlantic operations.[11] The fledgling EH101, of which up to 50 were on order to replace the Canadian Armed Forces's (CAF) Sea Kings, found itself subject to a wider political battle between the Conservative and Liberal parties, the latter viewing the aircraft as too costly.[12] Critics attacked the EH101 purchase as excessive and unnecessary after the Cold War's end in the early 1990s.[13] Wide-ranging cost estimates were presented by both proponents and opponents of the EH101 procurement, with opponents backing life extensions of Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King and Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador helicopter fleets.[14][15] The EH101 controversy was seen as a factor in the 1993 Canadian federal election.[16] The order was cancelled by the new Liberal government in 1993 resulting in a $470 million cancellation fee.[17][18]

Into production

Several pre-production aircraft were assembled during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The first pre-production aircraft had its first flight powered by General Electric CT7-2A engines on 9 October 1987.[19] Flight tests were suspended for six months following the crash of the second pre-production aircraft on 21 January 1993. On 6 June 1993, the first EH101 took its maiden flight with the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft engine.[20] Nine prototypes were built to explore military and civil applications, including a "heliliner" configuration.[21][22] In February 1995, Britain formally placed its first order for a total of 22 EH101s;[23] this was quickly followed by Italy's order for 16 EH101s in October 1995.[24] The EH101 order was not without controversy, the RAF had declared its preference for an all-Chinook fleet; also, Boeing allegedly offered cheaper terms for the Chinook.[25] RAF deliveries began in 1997; RN deliveries started the following year.[26][27]

Following the merger of Westland and Agusta to form AgustaWestland in 2000,[28][29] there was no need for the separate EHI entity; the EH101 was formally re-branded as the AW101 in 2007.[30] By April 2009, more than 180 AW101s had been sold worldwide; the combined operational fleet had also accumulated a total of 170,000 flying hours.[31]

Further developments

In November 2007, Algeria signed a contract for 6 AW101 helicopters.[32] In August 2012, it was reported that Algeria had signed an agreement with AgustaWestland for the provision of up to 80 helicopters, 42 of which were to be AW101s. Under the terms of this arrangement, early aircraft were to be manufactured by AgustaWestland, while Algeria was to commence the assembly of some AW101s later on.[33]

By September 2013, AgustaWestland was in the process of acquiring civil certification for the AW101, prospective customers include offshore oil platform operators and VIP clients.[34] As of February 2014, AgustaWestland was considering adapting the AW101 as a heavyweight unmanned aerial vehicle, it is proposed that in this configuration an AW101 could be optionally manned.[35]

On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Boeing had acquired a manufacturing license and the rights from AgustaWestland for US production of a localised AW101 variant, designated as the Boeing 101.[36] In October 2012, the AW101 was submitted in a U.S. Air Force competition to replace the HH-60 Pave Hawk; however, the bid was dropped three months later.[37]

Design

Overview

 
AW101 airframe diagram

The AW101 Merlin follows a conventional design layout, but makes use of advanced technologies, such as the design of the rotor blades, avionics systems, and extensive use of composite materials.[38] The fuselage structure is modular and comprises an aluminium–lithium alloy, designed to be both light and damage-resistant.[39] The AW101 is designed for operating in extreme weather conditions; it is fitted with a de-icing system and rated to operate in temperatures ranging between −45 and +50 °C.[40] The aircraft's control systems allow the AW101 to maintain a stable hover in 74 km/h (40 kn) crosswinds.[2]

An active vibration control system, known as the active control of structural response system, reduces airframe vibration by up to 80%, increasing crew comfort and minimising buildup of stress on the airframe.[41] The cockpit is fitted with armoured seats for the crew, and can withstand an impact velocity of over 10 m/s. Dual flight controls are provided, though the AW101 can be flown by a single person.[40] The pilots' instrument displays include six full-colour high-definition screens and an optional mission display; a digital map or forward looking infrared (FLIR) display can also be installed.[42]

Powerplant

 
Probe for aerial refuelling

The AW101 is powered by three turboshaft engines. Initially the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 producing 2,035 to 2,160 shp (1,517 to 1,611 kW)[43] and the General Electric CT7 producing 1,960 to 2,329 shp (1,462 to 1,737 kW)[44] were the two available engine types, but by 2020 new aircraft were only being sold with the CT7-8E.[45] The RTM322 powerplant was specifically developed for the AW101;[46] it was subsequently adopted on the AgustaWestland WAH-64 Apache and the NHIndustries NH90 helicopters.[47] According to Rolls-Royce, about 80% of AW101s use the RTM322[48]

The engines power an 18.59 m (61 ft 0 in) diameter five-bladed main rotor. The rotor blades are constructed from carbon/glass with nomex honeycomb and rohacell foam, edged with titanium alloy in a sandwich construction. The shaping of the main rotor blades is derived from the BERP rotor blades first used on the Westland Lynx. This blade design improves aerodynamic efficiency at the blade tip and reduces the acoustic signature.[49][page needed] Improved BERP IV rotors have since been developed; when installed this increases the AW101's maximum takeoff weight.[31]

Each engine is supplied by a separate 1,074 L (284 US gal; 236 imp gal) fuel tank using dual booster pumps. Optional fourth and fifth tanks can be added to act as a reservoir supply, topping up the main tanks during flight, increasing range or endurance.[50] The AW101 can also be fitted with a probe for aerial refuelling.[50] Self-sealing fuel tanks are an optional item to be selected by the customer.[51] An inlet particle separator system can be installed, protecting the engine when operating in sandy environments.[52]

Armament and defensive systems

 
A Merlin HM1 loaded with a Sting Ray torpedo

Most variants of the AW101 are equipped with self-defence systems, such as chaff and flare dispensers, directed infrared countermeasures (infrared jammers), ESM (electronic support measures in the form of RF heads), and a laser detection and warning system.[53] British Merlins have been outfitted with protective armour against small-arms fire.[54] A side-mounted forward looking infrared (FLIR) imaging sensor has been fitted to some variants.[55]

Two hardpoints are present in the underside of the airframe on which the HM1 model can carry four Sting Ray torpedoes or Mk 11 Mod 3 depth charges.[citation needed] Some customers have chosen to deploy the Marte anti-ship missile on the AW101;[56] as of 2011, the Royal Navy is considering equipping their Merlin fleet with an anti-surface missile.[57] The Mk1, Mk3 and Mk3A variants can mount general purpose machine guns in up to five locations in the main cabin, aimed out of both door and window apertures. AgustaWestland has examined the integration of rockets and additional ground-attack weapons.[31]

Avionics

Westland and IBM formed a consortium in 1991 to perform the helicopter's complex systems integration.[58] The AW101 features a network of helicopter management and mission systems designed to reduce pilot workload and enable the helicopter to undertake a wide variety of missions. A digital automatic flight control system (AFCS) is employed by the AW101. The AFCS allows the operation of a four-axis (pitch, roll, yaw and collective) autopilot and the automatic stabilisation system, and is linked in with the aircraft's flight management systems.[59] The AFCS, manufactured by Smiths Aerospace, is a dual-duplex system using two flight computers to provide redundancy and fault-tolerance.[60]

The AW101's navigation system includes a GPS receiver and inertial navigation system, VHF omnidirectional radio range (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS), TACAN, and automatic direction finding. The Mk1 and Mk3 are equipped with a Doppler velocity system (DVS) which provides relative ground velocities;[61] the DVS is also linked into the AFCS as part of the autostabilisation system.[62] For safety, the aircraft is equipped with obstacle and terrain avoidance warning systems, traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), and both voice and flight data recorders.[60]

The AW101 is equipped with the Blue Kestrel search and detection radar which is capable of 360 degree scanning and can detect small targets as far as 25 nautical miles.[40][63] As part of the Royal Navy's Merlin HM2 upgrade program, Lockheed Martin implemented a series of improvements to the radar, notably allowing it to track 40 times the number of targets previously capable.[64] Danish EH101s are fitted with the RDR-1600 search and weather radar.[60] Mk 2 Royal Navy Merlins are equipped with the AQS901 anti-submarine system for processing sonographic data from sonobuoys to detect and target submerged submarines. The AQS901 was derived from the system on the earlier Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.[65]

Crew and cargo

 
The ramp and interior of an AW101

The AW101 is typically operated by a crew of three: a pilot, an observer, and a crewman/operator. The pilot is able to fly for the majority of a mission in a hands-off mode, enabled by the sophisticated autopilot. All crew members have individual access to management computers and tactical information.[66]

The fuselage has a volume of 31.91 cubic metres (1,127 cu ft) and the cargo compartment is 6.5 metres (21 ft) in length, 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in) wide and 1.91 metres (6 ft 3 in) high. The military version of the AW101 can accommodate up to 24 seated or 45 standing combat troops and their equipment. Alternative loads include a medical team and 16 stretchers, and cargo pallets.[67][68]

The ramp, 1.91 by 2.3 metres (6 ft 3 in × 7 ft 7 in), can take a 3,050-kilogram (6,720 lb) load, allowing it to carry vehicles such as Land Rovers.[69] The ramp and cabin floor are fitted with flush tie-down points. A cargo hook under the fuselage can carry external loads of 5,440 kilograms (11,990 lb) via the use of a semi-automatic cargo release unit (SACRU).[70] A rescue hoist and a hover trim controller are fitted at the cargo door. An optional cargo winch can be installed near to the rear ramp.[51][71]

Operational history

Royal Navy

 
Merlin HM2 on HMS Illustrious
 
A Merlin HM2 fitted with Crowsnest
 
Merlin HC4 of 845 NAS off the BVI, 2020

The British Royal Navy's final order was for 44 ASW aircraft, originally designated Merlin HAS.1 (Helicopter, Anti-Submarine Mark 1) but soon changed to Merlin HM1 (Helicopter, Maritime Mark 1). The first fully operational Merlin was delivered on 17 May 1997, entering service on 2 June 2000. All aircraft were delivered by the end of 2002, and are operated by 3 Fleet Air Arm squadrons: 814 NAS, 820 NAS, 824 NAS and 829 NAS (now disbanded and merged with 814 NAS), all based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. 700 NAS was the Merlin Operational Evaluation Unit from 2000 to 2008.[72] In March 2004, Navy Merlins were temporarily grounded following an incident at RNAS Culdrose in which a tail rotor failed due to a manufacturing defect.[73] An improved tail rotor was designed and adopted on most AW101s which significantly reduced associated maintenance.[74]

In 1995, it was announced that the Navy's Westland Lynx helicopters would be retired in favour of an all-Merlin fleet.[75] However, the subsequent Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 stated that the future naval helicopters would be the Merlin and the Wildcat, a derivative of the Lynx.[76] Royal Navy Merlins have seen action in the Caribbean, on counter-narcotics and hurricane support duties, as well as maritime security duties in the Persian Gulf. Merlins have also seen active duty in Iraq, providing support to British and coalition forces based in the region.[77]

The Merlin HM1 has been cleared to operate from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, Type 23 frigates, Type 45 destroyer and several Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels including the Fort Victoria class. 30 aircraft have been upgraded to Merlin HM2 standard under the £750m Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme; Lockheed Martin UK delivered the final HM2 on 11 July 2016.[78][79] The HM2 has a new mission system, digital cockpit, electro-optical camera and multi-static sonar processing.[80] The HM2 achieved IOC on 30 June 2014 after flying 480 hours from Illustrious during Exercise Deep Blue earlier that month. It was also reported that some of the eight airframes not scheduled to be upgraded for financial reasons may be updated.[78][81] Five HM2s are in maintenance at a time, leaving 25 available, of which 14 were theoretically to be assigned to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.[78] However, in practice with just 30 Merlin HM2s in service, it may be impossible to deploy 14 aircraft on a single operational carrier on a full time basis.[82] During the 2021 carrier strike group deployment to the Pacific, for instance, 7 Merlins were embarked with the task group.[83][84]

In addition to its ASW role, the HM2 will be able to carry an airborne early warning (AEW) pod known as the Crowsnest, replacing the Sea King ASaC7.[85] In September 2011, Thales UK proposed re-using Sea King ASaC7 equipment, such as the Searchwater 2000, on the Merlin; Lockheed Martin has proposed developing a new multi-functional sensor for both the AW101 and other aircraft.[86] Lockheed originally planned to use a derivative of the F-35's APG-81 radar; however, a rival Elta system and the Thales system both commenced flight trials in 2014.[78][87][88] On 22 May 2015, the MOD and prime contractor Lockheed Martin UK selected Thales to provide the radar and mission system for the Crowsnest.[89] Initial operating capability of the system was significantly delayed. While Crowsnest was deployed with the U.K. carrier strike group in 2021, it experienced operating challenges and revised plans will now see Crowsnest achieve initial operating capability in the second quarter of 2023 and full operating capability in 2024/25. It has been reported that initially only five Merlins will be equipped with Crowsnest, three of these being normally assigned to the "high readiness" aircraft carrier.[90]

On 15 December 2009, plans were announced to transfer RAF Merlin HC3s and HC3As to the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force to replace retiring Sea King HC4 helicopters.[91] The Sea King was set to retire in 2016, leaving the Navy operating a combination of the Wildcat and Merlin.[91] 846 NAS reformed with ex-RAF Merlin HC3s on 30 September 2014;[92] 845 NAS followed on 9 July 2015.[93] On 25 May 2018, the first of 25 converted Royal Marines Commando Merlin Mk4/4A were delivered to Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton.[94][95] In July 2020, the Merlin HM2 and HC4/4A helicopters were planned to be in service until 2029 and 2030, respectively.[96] On 11 June 2021, it was confirmed that their Out of Service Date (OSD) had been moved to 2040.[97]

Royal Air Force

 
Merlin HC3 in Iraq, 2008

The RAF ordered 22 Merlin HC3 for transport missions, the first of which entered service in January 2001 with No. 28 Squadron RAF based at RAF Benson. The type is equipped with extended-range fuel tanks and is capable of air-to-air refuelling. The Merlin is frequently utilised for troop transport duties and for the transport of bulky objects, either internally or underslung, including vehicles and artillery.[98] The Merlin Depth Maintenance Facility at RNAS Culdrose performed most tasks upon the Merlin HC3.[99]

The Merlin's first operational deployment was to the Balkans region in 2003.[100] RAF Merlins were first deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Telic in 2004, supporting coalition forces and were operated as the main medevac asset in southern Iraq; both Flight Lieutenant Kev Harris and Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman were awarded the DFC during this period.[101] Merlins routinely operated around Basra until Britain's withdrawal in June 2009.[102]

In 2002, Westland made an unsuccessful unsolicited offer to the British Ministry of Defence, proposing an enhanced Merlin variant intended to satisfy the demand for additional lift capacity.[103] An alternative measure was the acquisition of six AW101s from Denmark in 2007; designated Merlin HC3A, these were assigned to the RAF, allowing Merlins to be deployed in Afghanistan.[104] The HC3A is used for training and not for frontline operations due to various configuration differences.[105] In December 2007, a second Merlin squadron, No. 78 Squadron was formed at RAF Benson.[106]

 
RAF Merlin HC3A, 2008

In 2009, five Merlin Mk3s were operating in Afghanistan, transporting troops and supplies. The deployment to Afghanistan was criticised as the aircraft reportedly lacked protective Kevlar armour.[107] By July 2010, the Merlin fleet was fully fitted with ballistic armour.[54] The deployment of Merlins to Afghanistan allowed the detachment of Sea Kings to be withdrawn from the region in October 2011.[108] As part of the UK drawdown in Afghanistan, Merlins were withdrawn from theatre in June 2013.[109]

In 2012, the RAF's Merlin HC3/3A fleet began to be transferred to the Royal Navy for use by the Commando Helicopter Force. Royal Navy personnel worked alongside RAF crew at Benson to build experience during the transition.[110] The £454m Merlin Life Sustainment Programme resulted in 25 HC3/3A airframes being fitted with the cockpit electronics of the HM2, folding tails and main rotor heads, strengthened landing gear, deck lashing mounting points, obsolescence updates, fast-roping points and a common emergency egress system.[105] The first HC4 is to begin flight trials in September 2017, with an IOC in mid-2018;[105] an interim folding main rotor head will be fitted to some HC3 for shipborne operations prior to the HC4 upgrade.[105]

Command of the UK Merlin HC3/3A fleet was formally transferred from the RAF to the Royal Navy during a ceremony at RAF Benson on 30 September 2014. As part of the same ceremony, the RAF's 78 Sqn was disbanded and the Royal Navy's 846 Naval Air Squadron stood-up with the Merlin.[111] The RAF's 28(AC) continued to operate as part of the Commando Helicopter Force until July 2015, when 28(AC) Sqn stood down and 845 Naval Air Squadron stood-up. 846 NAS relocated from RAF Benson to RNAS Yeovilton in March 2015, with 845 NAS following in June 2016.[112]

Italian Navy

 
Italian Navy airborne early warning (AEW) variant at Luni-Sarzana, 2007

In 1997, the Italian government ordered 16 AW101 helicopters for the Italian Navy, with options for four more. These AW101 included eight of the anti-surface/submarine (ASuW/ASW) version, four airborne early warning (AEW), four amphibious support helicopters (ASH).[113] The government then exercised its option for four additional ASH helicopters, which were delivered by 2006.[113] The same year the government ordered two more AW101 ASH helicopters in a slightly modified version.[113]

The first Italian Navy production helicopter (MM81480) flew on 4 October 1999 and was officially presented to the press on 6 December 1999. Italy accepted delivery of the 21st AW101, configured for anti-submarine warfare, on 4 August 2009.[114] In total 22 AW101 helicopters have been delivered to the Italian Navy.[113]

Italian AW101s have operated from a variety of ships and have seen service overseas; in 2009 the Italian Navy used its AW101 fleet as executive transports for visiting heads of state and officials during the 35th G8 summit.[114] In 2010, the Italian Navy deployed three AW101s to Afghanistan, where they were flown in both the transport and utility roles.[115] In 2011, it was reported that the Italian contingent in Afghanistan, consisting of AW101s, had been providing coverage of a wide area of the country.[116]

Italian Air Force

In June 2011 the AW101 was chosen by the Italian Air Force to replace its ageing Sea King HH-3F helicopters in the combat search and rescue role. A total of 15 helicopters in the HH-101A variant were ordered and delivered between 2016 and 2020.[117][118]

Royal Canadian Air Force

Main article: AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant
 
RCAF CH-149 Cormorant

In 1997, in light of the declining condition of its helicopter fleet, Canada launched the Canadian Search and Rescue Helicopter competition. It was won by the EH101, which was designated CH-149 Cormorant in Canadian service.[119]

In 2004, the EH101 was entered into a Canadian competition to replace the shipboard Sea King fleet, but the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone was selected.[120] In 2013, following difficulties with the CH-148 procurement,[121] the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was reported to be seriously considering cancelling the contract with Sikorsky and was investigating the possibility of procuring the AW101 instead.[122] However, an initial batch of six Cyclones was delivered to the RCAF in June 2015.[123]

In December 2022, Canada's Department of National Defence announced a C$1.24-billion contract for procurement of three additional aircraft and upgrades to the existing fleet to current configuration of the helicopter; this will increase the fleet to 16 aircraft. The RCAF also acquired its own advanced training simulator configured to the new modernized cockpit.[124]

Royal Danish Air Force

In 2001, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) announced the purchase of eight EH101s for SAR duties and six tactical troop transports for 722 Squadron.[125] The last of the 14 AW101s was delivered in March 2007 and the first SAR AW101s became operational out of Karup Airport in April 2007. In 2007, the six troop transport AW101s were transferred to the British MOD; in exchange, the British government ordered six new-build AW101s as replacements for the RDAF.[126]

 
RDAF AW101, 2007

Danish AW101s have a higher gross weight capacity of 15,600 kg and were, as delivered, coated in a paint designed to reduce the aircraft's infrared signature. In the SAR role, RDAF AW101s have a crew of six and were initially painted yellow to distinguish themselves from AW101 allocated to military duties,[126] but were later painted green, and all 14 AW101s are used for SAR and troop transport.[127][128]

On 28 January 2008, the drive shaft of a Danish AW101 broke, leading to an emergency landing at Billund Airport. Following the incident, the Danish fleet was grounded as a precaution and the AW101's future was publicly debated.[129] In the first six months of 2008, the RDAF reported an operational availability of roughly 50%, well below the target of 80%, partly due to an inadequate maintenance organisation and staff shortages.[130]

In January 2011, the Danish Ministry of Defence reportedly could not afford the retrofitting of the AW101 fleet for Afghanistan operations, against earlier reports of a deployment in 2012.[131][132] In February 2013, Aviation Week reported that earlier reliability problems had been resolved and that a full upgrade package would be applied to Danish AW101s; these included the addition of electronic warfare pods and a new electro-optical system, in advance of a deployment in Afghanistan in 2014.[127] In September 2013, Danish AW101s were to receive L-3 Wescam MX-15 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors; SAR aircraft already carry the FLIR Systems Star Safire II EO/IR sensor.[133]

Royal Norwegian Air Force

 
A Norwegian Leonardo AW101 SAR Queen helicopter, 2017

On 25 October 2007, a project started that had the intent to replace all Westland Sea King search and rescue helicopters with new rescue helicopters by 2020. On 19 December 2013, a contract was signed between AgustaWestland and the government, for the purchase of 16 AW101 helicopters. The agreement came about after fierce competition between different manufacturers to satisfy the Norwegian requirements. Participants were AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, NHIndustries, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Boeing. The government considered that AgustaWestland AW101 met the requirements and specifications in the best possible way.[134]

On 12 June 2017, Per-Willy Amundsen, Minister of Justice and Public Security, announced the opening of Leonardo's AW101 Norway Training Centre at Stavanger Sola Air Station. The training centre includes an AW101 Full Flight Simulator (FFS), jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE to Level D, which is a CAE Series 3000 device, along with an AW101 SAR console training system linked to the FFS to provide rear crew training. The first training course at the centre started prior to delivery of the first rotorcraft. The training center will be used by both Norwegian and foreign AW101 customers.[135]

The first AW101 was delivered in November 2017.[136][137] The Norwegian AW101s officially started operating in the rescue role on 1 September 2020.[138] The Sea Kings will be phased out gradually until the middle of 2023, after 47 years of service.[139] The AW101 is named SAR Queen in Norwegian service.[140]

Portuguese Air Force

 
Portuguese Air Force Merlin, 2007

The Portuguese Air Force had purchased 12 Merlins under a €446 million contract, the first of which was delivered on 22 December 2004. The type has been used to conduct transport, search and rescue, and maritime surveillance missions, progressively replacing the Aérospatiale Puma previously tasked with these missions.[141] The main role of Portuguese AW101s is to perform search and rescue missions within Portugal's maritime zone. They are operated by 751 Squadron and are kept on constant alert at three bases: Montijo near Lisbon, Lajes Field on the Azores, and Porto Santo Island.[142]

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

 
Japanese MCH-101

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ordered 14 aircraft in 2003 to use in both the airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) and transport roles. The AW101 was modified by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and the Japan Defense Agency designated the model MCH-101. Special features include the automated folding of the rotor and tail.[143] For the mine-hunting role, the MCH-101 has been outfitted with Northrop Grumman's AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system[144] and AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) for a complete surface-to-bottom mine detection capability, as well as Mk-104 acoustic mine sweeping gear.[145]

In 2002, AgustaWestland, Kawasaki and Marubeni entered a general agreement for cooperation; Kawasaki began the assembly of both the CH-101 and the MCH-101 in 2003. Kawasaki also began licensed production of the RTM322 engines in 2005.[146] In a separate agreement between Marubeni and AgustaWestland, a supply depot was established in Japan to support the MCH-101 and CH-101 fleets.[147] The first MCH-101 was delivered to the JMSDF on 3 March 2006.[143]

The MCH-101 will replace the MH-53E (S-80-M-1) in the AMCM role. The CH-101 will operate in the transport/support role for Antarctic expeditions, replacing the Sikorsky S-61A, and will be working in coordination with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.[148]

After a whistle-blower alleged that the MSDF's preference had been improperly changed an investigation was launched. On 16 December 2016 the Japanese Ministry of Defense (the Defense Agency having been upgraded to a ministry in 2007) stated that it had not confirmed lobbying efforts but the ministry admonished Tomohisa Takei, the JMSDF chief of staff, for mentioning the MCH-101 by name during the procurement process to his subordinates. This had come after MSDF officials had reported that the Mitsubishi-built SH helicopters may be best.[149][150]

VIP and other usage

 
AW101 (VH-71) undergoing testing in Owego, New York

AgustaWestland developed a specialised luxury variant, the AW101 VVIP (Very Very Important Person, i.e. a head of state), aimed at business and VIP customers.[151] As of April 2009, 15% of all AW101s sold were for VIP purposes.[31] By September 2013, customers operating the VIP variant included Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Nigeria and Turkmenistan.[34]

The AW101 was being acquired by the United States Marine Corps under the VXX program as a replacement for the Presidential Marine One helicopters. Designated VH-71 Kestrel, the variant was heavily customised and equipped with various self-defense systems.[152] However the programme encountered significant cost overruns and political opposition, which led to the procurement being scrapped in June 2009.[153] After the cancellation, the delivered helicopters were sold to Canada for $164 million, where they were used as source of spare parts for its fleet of Agusta Westland CH-149 Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters. Separately, the Marine Corps had also conducted studies into the adoption of the EH101 as a fallback option to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor during the 1990s.[20]

In April 2009, India ordered 12 AW101 to serve as executive transport helicopters for the Indian President and Prime Minister.[154] The selection followed field trial assessments between the AW101 and the Sikorsky S-92 held in 2008.[155] However, the procurement was put on hold and subsequently cancelled due to the 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal, in which Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company, were accused of using bribery to win the contract.[156][157] The three helicopters delivered as part of the contract may be returned to the manufacturer as part of the arbitration process.[158]

Variants

Pre-production
  • PP1 – Westland-built basic air vehicle prototype, first flown 9 October 1987.[159]
  • PP2 – Agusta-built Italian basic air vehicle prototype first flown on 26 November 1987 and used for deck trials but was destroyed on 21 January 1993 following a rotor brake malfunction.[159][160]
  • PP3 – Westland-built and the first civil configured Heliliner, used for engine vibration tests and icing trials in Canada.[159]
  • PP4 – Westland-built British naval prototype, lost in an accident on 7 April 1995 after a drive train control rod failure.[161]
  • PP5 – Westland-built Merlin development aircraft eventually equipped with Merlin avionics.[162]
  • PP6 – Agusta-built development aircraft for Italian Navy variant first flown 26 April 1989.[162]
  • PP7 – Agusta-built military utility aircraft with rear-loading ramp.[162]
  • PP8 – Westland-built civil prototype.[162]
  • PP9 – Agusta-built military utility prototype with rear-loading ramp.[162]
Model 110
Italian Navy ASW/ASuW variant, eight built. Powered by T-700-GE-T6A1 engines. Fitted with Eliradar APS-784 radar and Honeywell HELRAS dipping sonar. Armed with torpedoes or Marte anti-ship missiles.[162]
 
Composite image of an RAF Merlin deploying flares
Model 111
Royal Navy ASW/ASuW variant, designated Merlin HM1 by customer. Powered by RTM322 engines and fitted with Blue Kestrel radar, Thomson Marconi FLASH dipping sonar and Orange Reaper ESM. 44 built.[163]
Model 112
Italian Navy early warning variant with same airframe as Model 110 but with Eliradar HEW-784 radar in large underfuselage radome. Four built.[164]
Series 200
Proposed military utility version with no rear-loading ramp.[164]
Series 300 Heliliner
Proposed civil transport with no ramp.[165] In 2000, British International Helicopters conducted service trials using PP8; these did not lead to a commercial service.[22]
Series 310
Proposed version of Heliliner with full airline avionics for operation from oil platforms. No production.[166]
Model 410
Italian Navy transport variant with folding rotors and tail boom. Four built.[166]
Model 411
Royal Air Force transport variant, designated Merlin HC3 by customer, 22 built.[167]
Model 413
Italian Navy special forces and amphibious assault transport with more advanced avionics.[168]
Model 500
Proposed civil utility variant with rear-ramp.[168]
Model 510
Civil utility variant with rear ramp, two built. One used for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Agency and one used to support US101 bid.[168]
Model 511
Canadian military search and rescue variant, designated CH-149 Cormorant by customer.[169]
Model 512
Merlin Joint Supporter for Royal Danish Air Force. Eight acquired for search and rescue (512 SAR) and six for tactical troop transport (512 TTT). The six transports were sold to RAF (as Merlin HC3As) and replaced by six new-build Merlins.[170]
Model 514
Portuguese Air Force search and rescue variant, six built.[171]
Model 515
Portuguese Air Force fisheries protection variant, two built.[171]
Model 516
Portuguese Air Force combat search and rescue variant, four built.[171]
Model 518
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force mine countermeasures and transport variant, two built.
Model 519
Presidential Transport variant for the United States Marine Corps as the VH-71 Kestrel, four test vehicles and five pilot production aircraft built.[152]
Model 610
Algerian Naval variant. 6 delivered.[172]
Model 611
Italian Air Force Combat Search and Rescue variant, powered by CT7-8E engines.[173] 15 on order.
Model 612 (SAR Queen)
Norwegian search and rescue variant, operated by the Air Force. 16 ordered with option for 6 more.[174]
Model 640
Saudi Arabian VVIP variant, operated by the Air Force. 2 delivered.[172]
Model 641
Indian VVIP variant. (See 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal). Latterly delivered to Nigerian and Azerbaijani Air Forces.[172]
Model 642
Algerian VVIP variant, 2 delivered.[172]
Model 643
Turkmenistani VVIP variant, operated by the Air Force. 2 delivered. .[172]
Merlin HM1
Royal Navy designation for the Model 111.[72]
Merlin HM2
Avionics retrofit of 30 HM1s for the Royal Navy.[81]
 
RAF Merlin carrying a L118 105 mm howitzer.
Merlin HC3
Royal Air Force designation for the Model 411.[98]
Merlin HC3A
Royal Air Force designation for six former Royal Danish Air Force Model 512s modified to UK standards.[126]
Merlin HC3i
Royal Navy will fit seven HC3 with folding rotor heads as an interim (3i) measure until the full HC4 upgrade is available.[105]
Merlin HC4/4A
The conversion of 25 RAF HC3/3A (19 HC3 and 6 HC3A) for RN use in hand with the first flight taking place in November 2016.[175] HM2 cockpit, folding tail/blades and other adaptations for naval use.[105]
CH-148 Petrel
Ship-based anti-submarine helicopter for Canada. 35 originally ordered by the Canadian Forces, reduced to 28 and cancelled in 1993.[164]
CH-149 Chimo
Search and rescue helicopter for Canada. 15 ordered by the Canadian forces, but later cancelled.[164]
CH-149 Cormorant
Search and rescue helicopter for Canada, 15 ordered and delivered.[119]
Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel
Cancelled USMC variant that was intended to serve as the US Presidential helicopter.[152]
SH-101A
Italian Navy designation for the MP variant.[176]
 
Italian Air Force HH-101A
EH-101A
Italian Navy designation for the AEW variant.[176]
MH-101A
Italian Navy designation for the Amphibious Support Helicopter (ASH) variant.[176]
HH-101A
Italian Air Force designation for the CSAR variant.[177]
Kawasaki Heavy Industries MCH-101[143]
Japan Defense Agency designation of Model 518

Operators

Government

 
Map of current AW101 operators
 
A Portuguese Merlin lifts off from Monte Real Air Base
  Algeria
  Canada
  Denmark
  Indonesia
  Italy
 
An Italian Navy AW101 flies over the carrier Cavour
  Japan
  Nigeria
  Norway
  Poland
  Portugal
  Saudi Arabia
 
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department AW101
  Turkmenistan
  United Kingdom

Former operators

  United Kingdom

Notable accidents

See also: AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant § Notable incidents and accidents

Specifications (Merlin HM1)

 
 
The shovel-shaped BERP rotor blade tips of an RAF Merlin HC3

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004,[189] AgustaWestland[190]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3–4
  • Capacity:
  • 26 troops (38 passengers) or 5 tonnes of payload or 4 stretchers (with sonar array removed) for Merlin HM1;[164]
  • 30 seated troops or 45 standing fully equipped combat troops, or 3,050 kg (6,724 lb) of internal payload, 5,520 kg (12,169 lb) of external payload, or 16 stretchers for AW101[190]
  • Length: 19.53 m (64 ft 1 in) fuselage
  • Height: 6.62 m (21 ft 9 in)
  • Empty weight: 10,500 kg (23,149 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 14,600 kg (32,187 lb)
  • Powerplant: 3 × Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01 turboshaft engines, 1,566 kW (2,100 hp) each (take-off power)
  • Main rotor diameter: 18.59 m (61 ft 0 in)
  • Main rotor area: 271.51 m2 (2,922.5 sq ft) root: RAE 9651 ; tip: RAE 9645/RAE 9634[191]

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 278 km/h (173 mph, 150 kn)
  • Never exceed speed: 309 km/h (192 mph, 167 kn)
  • Range: 1,389 km (863 mi, 750 nmi) [192]
  • Endurance: 5 hours
  • Service ceiling: 4,575 m (15,010 ft)

Armament

Avionics

Notable appearances in media

Main article: AgustaWestland AW101

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Citations
  1. ^ "Finmeccanica Approves Merger And Spin-Off Operations For The Implementation of The Divisionalisation Process". from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b AgustaWestland 2008, p. 1.
  3. ^ . Portuguese Air Force. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  4. ^ . Danish Airforce. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  5. ^ Brown, D. K.; Moore, George (2012). Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945. Seaforth. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-84832-150-2.
  6. ^ "Royal Navy keeps its wings". Flight International. 25 November 1978. pp. 1926–1927. from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  7. ^ Briganti, Giovanni de. "Agusta, Westland and Europe". defense-aerospace.com. from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  8. ^ Aeronautica & Difesa, No. 14, Dec 1987, p. 34.
  9. ^ "Go-ahead for Anglo-Italian EH101 Helicopter". Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology. 56 (3): 11–12. 1984. doi:10.1108/eb035956. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012.
  10. ^ Twigge, Stephen (August 1992). "The EH101 helicopter: A fully integrated international collaborative program". Defense & Security Analysis. 8 (2): 133–146. doi:10.1080/07430179208405535.
  11. ^ Martin 1996, p. 137.
  12. ^ McLaughlin, Audrey (28 July 1992). "Cold War 'copters a waste of money". Toronto Star. from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  13. ^ Martin 1996, pp. 108–109.
  14. ^ Dobbin 1993, pp. 108–109.
  15. ^ Martin 1996, pp. 124–125.
  16. ^ Martin 1996, p. 131.
  17. ^ "Canada settles claim on Canceled Helicopters". The New York Times. 24 January 1996. from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Sea Kings' possible replacement familiar to Canadians". cbc.ca. 6 September 2013. from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  19. ^ "First flight of the prototype (PP1) of the EH Industries EH101 Type Series". Vertipedia. 19 October 1987. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  20. ^ a b "AgustaWestland AW101". Jane's All the World's Aircraft. 13 June 2011. from the original on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  21. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 122–125.
  22. ^ a b (PDF). RAF Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  23. ^ Hotten, Russell (23 February 1995). "Westland tipped for MoD order". The Independent. London. from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  24. ^ "Italian navy orders 16 EH-101 helicopters". Defense Daily. 10 October 1995.
  25. ^ Cooper 1997, pp. 69, 72.
  26. ^ Ford, Terry (1997). "Advances in rotorcraft". Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology. 69 (5): 447–452. doi:10.1108/00022669710367434.
  27. ^ Evans 2004, p. 24.
  28. ^ "Westland merger confirmed". BBC News. 26 July 2000. from the original on 22 July 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  29. ^ Hope, Christopher (27 May 2004). "Italians take controls at UK helicopter maker". The Daily Telegraph. London. from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  30. ^ "Rotorcraft Report: AgustaWestland". Rotor & Wing. Access Intelligence, LLC. 1 August 2007. from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2007. The company re-branded its medium-lift EH101 transport the AW101 to reflect ... the full integration of its Agusta and Westland ...
  31. ^ a b c d Kington, Tom (27 April 2009). "As U.S. Sales Slip Away, AW101 Closes On Italian CSAR Order". Defense News.[dead link]
  32. ^ "AgustaWestland, 400 million Euro contract in Algeria". Avionews. 20 November 2007. from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  33. ^ "Algeria orders six Super Lynx helicopters". defenceweb.co.za. 8 August 2012. from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  34. ^ a b Perry, Dominic. "AgustaWestland pursues new AW101 sales avenues" 20 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Flight International, 17 September 2013. Accessed: 17 September 2013.
  35. ^ Drwiega, Andrew. "Thinking Outside The Box In Italy ." 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Rotor&Wing, 28 February 2014.
  36. ^ "Boeing Secures All Rights to AgustaWestland AW101 for US Navy VXX Presidential Helicopter Program." 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Boeing, 7 June 2010.
  37. ^ Sikorsky last bidder standing in USAF's combat rescue helicopter battle 22 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Flight International, 12 December 2012.
  38. ^ Gunston and Spick 1986, p. 112.
  39. ^ Marks, N.G. (August 1989). "Polymer Composites for Helicopter Structures". Metals and Materials International. Met. Mater. 5 (8): 456–459.
  40. ^ a b c Crawford 2003, p. 27.
  41. ^ Jackson 2009, p. 274.
  42. ^ Prince, J. Colin; James F. Farrell; H. Woo; P. Yu; Ray Leerentveld (5 June 1995). "Color AMLCD displays for the EH-101 helicopter". Cockpit Displays Ii. SPIE. 2462: 234–240. Bibcode:1995SPIE.2462..234P. doi:10.1117/12.210962. S2CID 111311180. from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  43. ^ "EASA Type-Certificate Data Sheet E.009_Turbomeca_RTM_322" (PDF). www.easa.europa.eu. EASA. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  44. ^ "EASA Type-Certificate Data Sheet EASA IM.E.010" (pdf). www.easa.europa.eu. EASA. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  45. ^ "AW101 brochure" (PDF). Leonardo. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  46. ^ Witt, Mike (Spring 1990). "Rolls-Royce—a fount of military power". The RUSI Journal. 135 (1): 39–45. doi:10.1080/03071849008445420.
  47. ^ "RTM322". Rolls-Royce plc. from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
  48. ^ "RTM322 turboshaft" Rolls-Royce plc. Retrieved 21 April 2012. 9 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^ Prouty, Ray. Helicopter Aerodynamics, Helobooks, 2003.
  50. ^ a b Jackson 2003, p. 236.
  51. ^ a b AgustaWestland 2008, p. 4.
  52. ^ AgustaWestland 2008, p. 12.
  53. ^ Rivers, Brendan P (1 November 2001). "Nordic Helo paths diverge". Journal of Electronic Defense. The first had no specific requirements other than that it needed to include an EW controller, a radar-warning receiver, a missile-warning system, a laser-warning system, and a chaff/flare dispenser, with an optional RF jammer
  54. ^ a b "Permali Gloucester protects RAF Merlins". Flight International. 22 July 2010.
  55. ^ "FLIR Systems awarded contract to provide Thermal Imaging Systems for Royal Danish and Portuguese Air Forces; Contract valued at more than $10 million". Business Wire. 2 October 2002.
  56. ^ "Airbus Military C295 carries Marte Mk2/S anti-ship missile for first time". Airbus Military. 17 July 2012. from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  57. ^ "The Market for Anti-Ship Missiles" (PDF). Forecast International. August 2011. p. 4. (PDF) from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  58. ^ Matthews 1992, p. 82.
  59. ^ Moir and Seabridge 2008, pp. 343–345.
  60. ^ a b c "Agusta Westland's EH101". Avionics Today. 1 February 2005. from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  61. ^ (PDF). Selex Communications. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  62. ^ . AgustaWestland. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  63. ^ Friedman 1997, p. 202.
  64. ^ "$2 Bn for British EH101 Merlin Multi-Role Upgrades". Defense Industry Daily. 19 April 2011. from the original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  65. ^ Lavington 2011, p. 428.
  66. ^ Evans 2004, p. 23.
  67. ^ Cox, Bob (1 November 2001). "Lockheed Martin teams with European firm to market new All-Weather Helicopter". Fort Worth Star. As a transport, the EH-101 could be configured to carry 24 to 30 troops, up to five tons of cargo or up to 16 stretchers to carry wounded
  68. ^ AgustaWestland 2008, pp. 2–3.
  69. ^ Smith, Alan F (1 October 1997). . Advanced Materials & Processes. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013.
  70. ^ . onboardsystems.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  71. ^ Scott, Richard (9 December 2003). "Sea change". Flight International.
  72. ^ a b . Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  73. ^ "Probe continues into Merlin crash". BBC News. 31 March 2004. from the original on 21 June 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  74. ^ "New Helicopter Blades are a Pilot's Dream." Ottawa Citizen, 21 July 2012.
  75. ^ Cobbold, Richard (April 1994). "The Maritime helicopter". Chief of the Defence Staff. 139 (2): 56–63. doi:10.1080/03071849408445805.
  76. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2010.
  77. ^ "Merlin HM1 Helicopter On The 'Front Line' For 10 Years". HM Forces. 3 October 2011.
  78. ^ a b c d Osborne, Tony (15 July 2014). "U.K. Considering Bringing Orphaned Merlins Into Service". from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  79. ^ Scott, Richard (19 July 2016). "Lockheed Martin completes Merlin HM2 deliveries". IHS Jane's 360. from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  80. ^ Osborne, Tony (28 September 2012). . Shephard Media. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012.
  81. ^ a b Jane's Defence Weekly, 8 July 2009. p. 14.
  82. ^ "The Royal Navy's Merlin helicopter fleet – bearing a heavy load | Navy Lookout". 19 September 2015.
  83. ^ "The UK Carrier Strike Group sets sail | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 1 May 2021.
  84. ^ "Almost 200 Helston navy crew leave for prestigious new role for rest of the year". Falmouth Packet.
  85. ^ "UK's Crowsnest surveillance programme takes off". Flight International. 17 January 2017. from the original on 6 April 2019.
  86. ^ Hoyle, Craig (15 September 2011). "Thales outlines Sea King 7 replacement proposal". Flight International. from the original on 11 December 2011.
  87. ^ Scott, Richard (7 May 2014). "UK extends Sea King ASaC.7 life out to 2018". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. from the original on 29 May 2014.
  88. ^ Ministry of Defense, (26 June 2020)Carrier Strike – Preparing for deployment, retrieved 4 January 2021
  89. ^ "New surveillance system for future Royal Navy aircraft carriers revealed". gov.uk. from the original on 17 July 2015.
  90. ^ "Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control due to achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2023 | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 19 December 2022.
  91. ^ a b . Navy News. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011.
  92. ^ "Navy takes delivery of Merlin fleet". Navy News. 1 October 2014. from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  93. ^ "845 thrive as famous naval squadron takes charge of battlefield Merlins". Royal News. 10 July 2015. from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  94. ^ "Royal Navy receives first Commando Merlin – Jane's 360". www.janes.com. from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  95. ^ "Defence minister welcomes first of new carrier-ready helicopter fleet – Royal Navy". royalnavy.mod.uk. from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  96. ^ Quin, Jeremy (7 July 2020). "Merlin Helicopters:Written question - 65947". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  97. ^ "UK extends Merlin operations until 2040".
  98. ^ a b . Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  99. ^ . Serco. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  100. ^ "Merlin HC3". Royal Air Force. from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  101. ^ "Top Operational Honour for Pilot". mod.uk. from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  102. ^ . Royal Institute of Navigation. 1 December 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  103. ^ Barrie, D (23 December 2002). "Westland pushes additional Merlins for U.K. lift needs". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 157 (26): 29.
  104. ^ Burchell, Bill (6 August 2009). "U.K. Puma Upgrade Approved". Aviation Week.
  105. ^ a b c d e f Osborne, Anthony (27 January 2014). "U.K. To Spend £454m on Merlin Modernization Program". Aviation Week. from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  106. ^ "78 Squadron Operational". Royal Air Force. 3 December 2007. from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
  107. ^ "MoD denies Merlin 'unsafe' claims". BBC News. 4 August 2009.
  108. ^ Hoyle, Craig (25 October 2011). "UK withdraws Sea King transports from Afghanistan". Flight International. from the original on 29 December 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  109. ^ Inglis, Will. . British Forces News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2013.
  110. ^ "Navy News – Reporting from the Fleet". navynews.co.uk. from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  111. ^ "Prince Michael of Kent attends service at RAF Benson". BBC News. 10 July 2015. from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  112. ^ Ballance, Theo (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air-Britain. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
  113. ^ a b c d "EH - 101". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  114. ^ a b . AgustaWestland. 4 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013.
  115. ^ Peruzzi, Luca (15 November 2010). "Italian Navy deploys first AW101s to Afghanistan". Flight International. from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  116. ^ "Allies Absent in Afghanistan – Helicopters Hired". Defense Industry Daily. 7 November 2011. from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  117. ^ "First Italian Air Force HH-101A "CAESAR" enters service". Leonardo. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  118. ^ Peruzzi, Luca (17 June 2011). "Italian air force chief details Libyan operations". Flight International. from the original on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  119. ^ a b Plamondon 2009, pp. 151–152.
  120. ^ Plamondon 2009, pp. 184–186.
  121. ^ "'Other options' sought for Sea King helicopter replacements". CBC.CA. 5 September 2013. from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  122. ^ Chase, Steven (5 September 2013). "Helicopter purchase's fate in doubt as Ottawa examines other models". The Globe and Mail. from the original on 7 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  123. ^ "CH-148 Cyclones delivered to Halifax airbase". cbc.ca. 19 June 2015. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  124. ^ "Minister Anand announces Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade and Simulator Solution Contracts Award to ensure continued Search and Rescue capabilities". Defence National. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  125. ^ "AgustaWestland received a UKPd250 mil contract to supply 14 helicopters to Denmark". The Engineer. 21 September 2001. from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  126. ^ a b c Hoyle, Craig (12 December 2006). "Nordic special: Great Danes". Flight International. from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  127. ^ a b Osborne, Anthony (4 February 2013). "Denmark Plans AW101 Deployment To Afghanistan". Aviation Week. from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  128. ^ "EH-101 Merlin 21 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine" Royal Danish Air Force. Accessed: 19 December 2013.
  129. ^ "Forsvarets fejlindkøb står i kø". Berlingske Tidende. 4 February 2008. from the original on 7 February 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  130. ^ "Extract from the report to the Public Accounts Committee on the Danish Defence's EH-101 helicopters" (PDF). Rigsrevisionen. September 2008.[dead link]
  131. ^ "Danske soldater får helikoptere for sent". Berlingske Tidende. 3 January 2011. from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  132. ^ "Ingen helikopter til udsendte soldater". Berlingske Tidende. 25 October 2011. from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  133. ^ Hoyle, Craig (2 September 2013). "Danish AW101s to get MX-15 sensor fit". Flight International. from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  134. ^ AgustaWestland til sluttforhandlinger om nye redningshelikoptre (Government of Norway, official site) (in Norwegian)
  135. ^ "Leonardo's AW101 Norway training centre opens". Leonardocompany.com. 13 June 2017. from the original on 19 June 2017.
  136. ^ Perry, Dominic (20 November 2017). "Norway takes first SAR-roled AW101". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  137. ^ Jennings, Gareth (19 November 2017). "Norway receives first AW101 SAR helicopter". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  138. ^ Dalløkken, Per Erlien; Urke, Eirik Helland (2 September 2020). "En Tesla eller Playstation 5 med rotorer? Redningstjenesten forsøker å forklare hva Sar Queen betyr". Tu.no.
  139. ^ "Norway to start operating "world's best" rescue helicopters on Tuesday". The Norwegian Standard. 27 August 2020.
  140. ^ Dalløkken, Per Erlien (1 September 2020). "Overtar for Sea King: Nytt redningshelikopter har fått nytt navn". Tu.no.
  141. ^ Harding Air International July 2010, pp. 70–72.
  142. ^ . AgustaWestland. 12 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2010.
  143. ^ a b c "First MCH-101 Helicopter Goes to Japan Defense Agency". KHI. from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  144. ^ Waldron, Greg (25 October 2011). "Japan selects Northrop mine-hunting gear for MCH101 fleet". Flight International. from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  145. ^ Kawasaki Heavy Industries Showcasing MCH-101 Mine Warfare Helicopter 18 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine – Navyrecognition.com, 14 June 2017
  146. ^ "Milestone RTM322 Engine goes to Japan Defense Agency". KHI. from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  147. ^ . AgustaWestland. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  148. ^ . KHI. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  149. ^ Top MSDF officer admonished for meddling in helicopter procurement process December 17, 2016 3 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Japan Times
  150. ^ ヘリ選定で海幕長を訓戒 特定機種例示、公正さ欠く 4 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine 共同通信2016年12月16日 (in Japanese)
  151. ^ "EBACE 2008: Agusta Westland targets VVIPs with luxury AW101". Flight Daily News. 19 May 2008. from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  152. ^ a b c Page, Lewis (9 January 2009). "Could the Airbus A380 be the new Air Force One? – Obama's chopper is European". The Register. from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  153. ^ "US Navy Terminates VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Contract". 5 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine Flight International, 2 June 2009.
  154. ^ Rao, Radhakrishna (10 August 2009). "India approves deals for Ka-31, AW101 helicopters". Flight International. from the original on 13 August 2009.
  155. ^ Pandit, Rajat (30 July 2009). "PM, President to get swanky copters". The Times of India. from the original on 2 August 2009.
  156. ^ "PM, President to get swanky copters" 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. The Times of India, 30 July 2009.
  157. ^ "India scraps $753m Finmeccanica helicopter deal". BBC News. 1 January 2014. from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  158. ^ "India to encash 228 m euros bank guarantees of Agusta". Indian Express. 26 May 2014. from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  159. ^ a b c Lake 2007, p. 122.
  160. ^ "EH101 crash caused by rotor brake". Flight International. No. 19–25 May 1995. p. 5. from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  161. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 122–123.
  162. ^ a b c d e f Lake 2007, p. 123.
  163. ^ Lake 2007, p. 124.
  164. ^ a b c d e Lake 2007, p. 125.
  165. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 125–126.
  166. ^ a b Lake 2007, p. 126.
  167. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 126–127.
  168. ^ a b c Lake 2007, p. 128.
  169. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 128–129.
  170. ^ Lake 2007, pp. 129–131.
  171. ^ a b c Parsons, Gary (13 July 2010). . Key Aero. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014.
  172. ^ a b c d e "Construction List – AW101". Planelogger. from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  173. ^ "AW101 611". www.helis.com. from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  174. ^ "AgustaWestland to final negotiations". Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police. 8 November 2013. from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  175. ^ Jennings, Gareth. "Upgraded Merlin HC4/4A for Royal Marines makes maiden flight". IHS Jane's 360. from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  176. ^ a b c "Utilizzo Della Nomenclatura 'Mission Design Series' (MDS) Neele Pubblicazioni Tecniche (PPTT) Di Competenza Della Daa" (PDF). Ministero Della Defesa. June 2011. (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  177. ^ Reed Business Information Limited. "PICTURES: First Italian air force HH-101A breaks cover". flightglobal.com. from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  178. ^ Allport, Dave (July 2013). "First Algerian VIP AW 101 Flight Testing". Air Forces Monthly.
  179. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal Insight. 2018. from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  180. ^ "HH-101A". Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  181. ^ "MH-101A". Marina Militare. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  182. ^ Japan Ministry of Defence
  183. ^ "Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department EH -101". from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  184. ^ Reed Business Information Limited. "Nigerian AW101 makes debut flight". flightglobal.com. from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  185. ^ Guy Martin. "First Nigerian VIP AW101 delivered". defenceweb.co.za. from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  186. ^ Perry, Donald (26 April 2019). "Poland orders four AW101 helicopters for navy". Flightglobal. from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  187. ^ "French President flies on (made in Italy) VVIP chopper in Saudi Arabia". theaviationist.com. 22 January 2014. from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  188. ^ "World Air Forces 2015". Flightglobal Insight. 2015. from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  189. ^ Jackson 2003, pp. 233–238.
  190. ^ a b "AW101." 6 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine AgustaWestland, Retrieved: 4 July 2014.
  191. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  192. ^ . Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  193. ^ Kulshrestha, Sanatan (2015). Naval Strategic Insight. IndraStra Global. p. 11.
Bibliography
  • AgustaWestland. AW101 Utility.[permanent dead link] AgustaWestland, June 2008.
  • Cooper, Neil. The business of death: Britain's arms trade at home and abroad. I.B.Tauris, 1997. ISBN 1-85043-953-2.
  • Crawford, Stephen. Twenty-first century military helicopters: today's fighting gunships. Zenith Imprint, 2003. ISBN 0-7603-1504-3.
  • Dobbin, Murray. The politics of Kim Campbell: from school trustee to Prime Minister. James Lorimer & Company, 1993. ISBN 1-55028-413-4.
  • Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
  • Eden, Paul, ed. Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft. London: Amber Books, 2004. ISBN 1-904687-84-9.
  • Evans, Nicholas D. Military gadgets: how advanced technology is transforming today's battlefield-- and tomorrow's. FT Press, 2004. ISBN 0-13-144021-7.
  • Frawley, Gerald. The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002/2003. Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2.
  • Friedman, Norman. The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapons systems, 1997–1998. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-268-4.
  • Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. Modern fighting helicopters. Random House Value Publishing, 1986. ISBN 0-517-61349-2.
  • Harding, Ian. "Long distance wizard". Air International, Vol. 79, No. 1, July 2010. pp. 70–75. ISSN 0306-5634.
  • Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. 2003, Jane's Information Group. Coulsdon, UK. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5
  • Jackson, Paul; Munson, Kenneth; Peacock, Lindsay. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2009–2010. 2009, Jane's Information Group. Coulsdon, UK. ISBN 0-7106-2880-3
  • Lake, Jon. "Variant File: AgustaWestland EH101/AW101". International Air Power Review. Volume 22. Westport, Connecticut, USA: AIRtime Publishing, 2007. pp. 116–135. ISBN 1-88058-879-X. ISSN 1473-9917.
  • Lavington, Simon. Moving Targets: Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain, 1947–67. Springer 2011, ISBN 1-84882-932-9.
  • Martin, Stephen. The economics of offsets: defence procurement and countertrade. Routledge, 1996. ISBN 3-7186-5782-1.
  • Matthews, Ron. European armaments collaboration: policy, problems and prospects. Routledge, 1992. ISBN 3-7186-5244-7.
  • Moir, Ian and Allan G. Seabridge. Aircraft systems: mechanical, electrical, and avionics subsystems integration. John Wiley and Sons, 2008. ISBN 0-470-05996-6.
  • Plamondon, Aaron. The politics of procurement: military acquisition in Canada and the Sea King helicopter. UBC Press, 2009. ISBN 0-7748-1714-3.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to AgustaWestland AW101.
  • Official website  
  • Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 website
  • Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 website

January 29, 2023
agustawestland, aw101, medium, lift, helicopter, military, civil, first, flown, 1987, developed, joint, venture, between, westland, helicopters, united, kingdom, agusta, italy, response, national, requirements, modern, naval, utility, helicopter, several, oper. The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium lift helicopter in military and civil use First flown in 1987 it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirements for a modern naval utility helicopter Several operators including the armed forces of Britain Denmark and Portugal use the name Merlin for their AW101 aircraft 3 4 It is manufactured at factories in Yeovil England and Vergiate Italy Licensed assembly work has also taken place in Japan and the United States AW101An Italian Navy AW101Role Anti submarine warfare medium lift transport search and rescue and utility helicopterNational origin United Kingdom ItalyManufacturer AgustaWestland HelicoptersAgustaWestlandFinmeccanicaLeonardo S p A 1 First flight 9 October 1987Introduction 1999 2 Status In servicePrimary users Royal NavyRoyal Air Force historical Italian NavyRoyal Danish Air ForceProduced 1990s presentVariants AgustaWestland CH 149 CormorantLockheed Martin VH 71 KestrelPrior to 2007 the aircraft had been marketed under the designation EH101 The original designation was EHI 01 from the name given to the Anglo Italian joint venture European Helicopter Industries but a transcription error changed this to EH101 5 In 2000 Westland Helicopters and Agusta merged to form AgustaWestland leading to the type s current designation The AW101 entered into service in 1999 and has since replaced several older helicopter types such as the Sikorsky SH 3 Sea King performing roles such as medium sized transport anti submarine warfare search and rescue and ship based utility operations The Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF operates the CH 149 Cormorant variant for air sea rescue Another variant the Lockheed Martin VH 71 Kestrel was produced to serve in the United States presidential transport fleet before the program was cancelled and the aircraft sold off to Canada for parts Civil operators use the AW101 for passenger and VIP transportation The type has been deployed to active combat theatres such as in support of coalition forces during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan Contents 1 Development 1 1 Origins 1 2 Into production 1 3 Further developments 2 Design 2 1 Overview 2 2 Powerplant 2 3 Armament and defensive systems 2 4 Avionics 2 5 Crew and cargo 3 Operational history 3 1 Royal Navy 3 2 Royal Air Force 3 3 Italian Navy 3 4 Italian Air Force 3 5 Royal Canadian Air Force 3 6 Royal Danish Air Force 3 7 Royal Norwegian Air Force 3 8 Portuguese Air Force 3 9 Japan Maritime Self Defense Force 3 10 VIP and other usage 4 Variants 5 Operators 5 1 Government 5 2 Former operators 6 Notable accidents 7 Specifications Merlin HM1 8 Notable appearances in media 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksDevelopment EditOrigins Edit In 1977 the UK Ministry of Defence issued a requirement for an anti submarine warfare ASW helicopter to replace the Royal Navy s Westland Sea Kings which were becoming inadequate in the face of advances in Soviet submarine technology Westland Helicopters put together a proposal designated WG 34 for a three engined helicopter of similar dimensions to the Sea King the WG 34 was to feature more autonomy and a greater range than its predecessor 6 At the same time the Italian Navy Marina Militare was also considering the replacement of its fleet of Sea Kings which had been built by the Italian company Agusta Westland and Agusta soon began talks regarding the joint development of a successor helicopter 7 Agusta and Westland finalised an agreement to work on the project together and formed a jointly owned new company EH Industries Limited EHI to pursue the development and marketing of the new helicopter to potential operators On 12 June 1981 the UK government confirmed its participation in the project allocated an initial budget of 20 million to develop nine pre series examples 8 A major agreement which secured funding for the majority of the EH101 s development program was signed by both the British and Italian governments in 1984 9 At the 1985 Paris Air Show Agusta showed a mock up of a utility version of the new helicopter leading to a more generalised design that could be customised to meet the needs of various civilian or military customers The first prototype flew on 9 October 1987 10 In 1987 Canada selected the EH101 to replace their Sea Kings in the anti submarine warfare and search and rescue roles The EH101 s third engine and increased range compared favorably with rival aircraft such as the Sikorsky Seahawk The range and de icing capability were also seen as vital for North Atlantic operations 11 The fledgling EH101 of which up to 50 were on order to replace the Canadian Armed Forces s CAF Sea Kings found itself subject to a wider political battle between the Conservative and Liberal parties the latter viewing the aircraft as too costly 12 Critics attacked the EH101 purchase as excessive and unnecessary after the Cold War s end in the early 1990s 13 Wide ranging cost estimates were presented by both proponents and opponents of the EH101 procurement with opponents backing life extensions of Sikorsky CH 124 Sea King and Boeing Vertol CH 113 Labrador helicopter fleets 14 15 The EH101 controversy was seen as a factor in the 1993 Canadian federal election 16 The order was cancelled by the new Liberal government in 1993 resulting in a 470 million cancellation fee 17 18 Into production Edit Several pre production aircraft were assembled during the late 1980s and early 1990s The first pre production aircraft had its first flight powered by General Electric CT7 2A engines on 9 October 1987 19 Flight tests were suspended for six months following the crash of the second pre production aircraft on 21 January 1993 On 6 June 1993 the first EH101 took its maiden flight with the Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft engine 20 Nine prototypes were built to explore military and civil applications including a heliliner configuration 21 22 In February 1995 Britain formally placed its first order for a total of 22 EH101s 23 this was quickly followed by Italy s order for 16 EH101s in October 1995 24 The EH101 order was not without controversy the RAF had declared its preference for an all Chinook fleet also Boeing allegedly offered cheaper terms for the Chinook 25 RAF deliveries began in 1997 RN deliveries started the following year 26 27 Following the merger of Westland and Agusta to form AgustaWestland in 2000 28 29 there was no need for the separate EHI entity the EH101 was formally re branded as the AW101 in 2007 30 By April 2009 more than 180 AW101s had been sold worldwide the combined operational fleet had also accumulated a total of 170 000 flying hours 31 Further developments Edit In November 2007 Algeria signed a contract for 6 AW101 helicopters 32 In August 2012 it was reported that Algeria had signed an agreement with AgustaWestland for the provision of up to 80 helicopters 42 of which were to be AW101s Under the terms of this arrangement early aircraft were to be manufactured by AgustaWestland while Algeria was to commence the assembly of some AW101s later on 33 By September 2013 AgustaWestland was in the process of acquiring civil certification for the AW101 prospective customers include offshore oil platform operators and VIP clients 34 As of February 2014 AgustaWestland was considering adapting the AW101 as a heavyweight unmanned aerial vehicle it is proposed that in this configuration an AW101 could be optionally manned 35 On 7 June 2010 it was announced that Boeing had acquired a manufacturing license and the rights from AgustaWestland for US production of a localised AW101 variant designated as the Boeing 101 36 In October 2012 the AW101 was submitted in a U S Air Force competition to replace the HH 60 Pave Hawk however the bid was dropped three months later 37 Design EditOverview Edit AW101 airframe diagram The AW101 Merlin follows a conventional design layout but makes use of advanced technologies such as the design of the rotor blades avionics systems and extensive use of composite materials 38 The fuselage structure is modular and comprises an aluminium lithium alloy designed to be both light and damage resistant 39 The AW101 is designed for operating in extreme weather conditions it is fitted with a de icing system and rated to operate in temperatures ranging between 45 and 50 C 40 The aircraft s control systems allow the AW101 to maintain a stable hover in 74 km h 40 kn crosswinds 2 An active vibration control system known as the active control of structural response system reduces airframe vibration by up to 80 increasing crew comfort and minimising buildup of stress on the airframe 41 The cockpit is fitted with armoured seats for the crew and can withstand an impact velocity of over 10 m s Dual flight controls are provided though the AW101 can be flown by a single person 40 The pilots instrument displays include six full colour high definition screens and an optional mission display a digital map or forward looking infrared FLIR display can also be installed 42 Powerplant Edit Probe for aerial refuelling The AW101 is powered by three turboshaft engines Initially the Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322 producing 2 035 to 2 160 shp 1 517 to 1 611 kW 43 and the General Electric CT7 producing 1 960 to 2 329 shp 1 462 to 1 737 kW 44 were the two available engine types but by 2020 new aircraft were only being sold with the CT7 8E 45 The RTM322 powerplant was specifically developed for the AW101 46 it was subsequently adopted on the AgustaWestland WAH 64 Apache and the NHIndustries NH90 helicopters 47 According to Rolls Royce about 80 of AW101s use the RTM322 48 The engines power an 18 59 m 61 ft 0 in diameter five bladed main rotor The rotor blades are constructed from carbon glass with nomex honeycomb and rohacell foam edged with titanium alloy in a sandwich construction The shaping of the main rotor blades is derived from the BERP rotor blades first used on the Westland Lynx This blade design improves aerodynamic efficiency at the blade tip and reduces the acoustic signature 49 page needed Improved BERP IV rotors have since been developed when installed this increases the AW101 s maximum takeoff weight 31 Each engine is supplied by a separate 1 074 L 284 US gal 236 imp gal fuel tank using dual booster pumps Optional fourth and fifth tanks can be added to act as a reservoir supply topping up the main tanks during flight increasing range or endurance 50 The AW101 can also be fitted with a probe for aerial refuelling 50 Self sealing fuel tanks are an optional item to be selected by the customer 51 An inlet particle separator system can be installed protecting the engine when operating in sandy environments 52 Armament and defensive systems Edit A Merlin HM1 loaded with a Sting Ray torpedo Most variants of the AW101 are equipped with self defence systems such as chaff and flare dispensers directed infrared countermeasures infrared jammers ESM electronic support measures in the form of RF heads and a laser detection and warning system 53 British Merlins have been outfitted with protective armour against small arms fire 54 A side mounted forward looking infrared FLIR imaging sensor has been fitted to some variants 55 Two hardpoints are present in the underside of the airframe on which the HM1 model can carry four Sting Ray torpedoes or Mk 11 Mod 3 depth charges citation needed Some customers have chosen to deploy the Marte anti ship missile on the AW101 56 as of 2011 the Royal Navy is considering equipping their Merlin fleet with an anti surface missile 57 The Mk1 Mk3 and Mk3A variants can mount general purpose machine guns in up to five locations in the main cabin aimed out of both door and window apertures AgustaWestland has examined the integration of rockets and additional ground attack weapons 31 Avionics Edit Westland and IBM formed a consortium in 1991 to perform the helicopter s complex systems integration 58 The AW101 features a network of helicopter management and mission systems designed to reduce pilot workload and enable the helicopter to undertake a wide variety of missions A digital automatic flight control system AFCS is employed by the AW101 The AFCS allows the operation of a four axis pitch roll yaw and collective autopilot and the automatic stabilisation system and is linked in with the aircraft s flight management systems 59 The AFCS manufactured by Smiths Aerospace is a dual duplex system using two flight computers to provide redundancy and fault tolerance 60 The AW101 s navigation system includes a GPS receiver and inertial navigation system VHF omnidirectional radio range VOR instrument landing system ILS TACAN and automatic direction finding The Mk1 and Mk3 are equipped with a Doppler velocity system DVS which provides relative ground velocities 61 the DVS is also linked into the AFCS as part of the autostabilisation system 62 For safety the aircraft is equipped with obstacle and terrain avoidance warning systems traffic collision avoidance system TCAS and both voice and flight data recorders 60 The AW101 is equipped with the Blue Kestrel search and detection radar which is capable of 360 degree scanning and can detect small targets as far as 25 nautical miles 40 63 As part of the Royal Navy s Merlin HM2 upgrade program Lockheed Martin implemented a series of improvements to the radar notably allowing it to track 40 times the number of targets previously capable 64 Danish EH101s are fitted with the RDR 1600 search and weather radar 60 Mk 2 Royal Navy Merlins are equipped with the AQS901 anti submarine system for processing sonographic data from sonobuoys to detect and target submerged submarines The AQS901 was derived from the system on the earlier Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft 65 Crew and cargo Edit The ramp and interior of an AW101 The AW101 is typically operated by a crew of three a pilot an observer and a crewman operator The pilot is able to fly for the majority of a mission in a hands off mode enabled by the sophisticated autopilot All crew members have individual access to management computers and tactical information 66 The fuselage has a volume of 31 91 cubic metres 1 127 cu ft and the cargo compartment is 6 5 metres 21 ft in length 2 3 metres 7 ft 7 in wide and 1 91 metres 6 ft 3 in high The military version of the AW101 can accommodate up to 24 seated or 45 standing combat troops and their equipment Alternative loads include a medical team and 16 stretchers and cargo pallets 67 68 The ramp 1 91 by 2 3 metres 6 ft 3 in 7 ft 7 in can take a 3 050 kilogram 6 720 lb load allowing it to carry vehicles such as Land Rovers 69 The ramp and cabin floor are fitted with flush tie down points A cargo hook under the fuselage can carry external loads of 5 440 kilograms 11 990 lb via the use of a semi automatic cargo release unit SACRU 70 A rescue hoist and a hover trim controller are fitted at the cargo door An optional cargo winch can be installed near to the rear ramp 51 71 Operational history EditRoyal Navy Edit Merlin HM2 on HMS Illustrious A Merlin HM2 fitted with Crowsnest Merlin HC4 of 845 NAS off the BVI 2020 The British Royal Navy s final order was for 44 ASW aircraft originally designated Merlin HAS 1 Helicopter Anti Submarine Mark 1 but soon changed to Merlin HM1 Helicopter Maritime Mark 1 The first fully operational Merlin was delivered on 17 May 1997 entering service on 2 June 2000 All aircraft were delivered by the end of 2002 and are operated by 3 Fleet Air Arm squadrons 814 NAS 820 NAS 824 NAS and 829 NAS now disbanded and merged with 814 NAS all based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall 700 NAS was the Merlin Operational Evaluation Unit from 2000 to 2008 72 In March 2004 Navy Merlins were temporarily grounded following an incident at RNAS Culdrose in which a tail rotor failed due to a manufacturing defect 73 An improved tail rotor was designed and adopted on most AW101s which significantly reduced associated maintenance 74 In 1995 it was announced that the Navy s Westland Lynx helicopters would be retired in favour of an all Merlin fleet 75 However the subsequent Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 stated that the future naval helicopters would be the Merlin and the Wildcat a derivative of the Lynx 76 Royal Navy Merlins have seen action in the Caribbean on counter narcotics and hurricane support duties as well as maritime security duties in the Persian Gulf Merlins have also seen active duty in Iraq providing support to British and coalition forces based in the region 77 The Merlin HM1 has been cleared to operate from the Royal Navy s aircraft carriers amphibious assault ships Type 23 frigates Type 45 destroyer and several Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA vessels including the Fort Victoria class 30 aircraft have been upgraded to Merlin HM2 standard under the 750m Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme Lockheed Martin UK delivered the final HM2 on 11 July 2016 78 79 The HM2 has a new mission system digital cockpit electro optical camera and multi static sonar processing 80 The HM2 achieved IOC on 30 June 2014 after flying 480 hours from Illustrious during Exercise Deep Blue earlier that month It was also reported that some of the eight airframes not scheduled to be upgraded for financial reasons may be updated 78 81 Five HM2s are in maintenance at a time leaving 25 available of which 14 were theoretically to be assigned to the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier 78 However in practice with just 30 Merlin HM2s in service it may be impossible to deploy 14 aircraft on a single operational carrier on a full time basis 82 During the 2021 carrier strike group deployment to the Pacific for instance 7 Merlins were embarked with the task group 83 84 In addition to its ASW role the HM2 will be able to carry an airborne early warning AEW pod known as the Crowsnest replacing the Sea King ASaC7 85 In September 2011 Thales UK proposed re using Sea King ASaC7 equipment such as the Searchwater 2000 on the Merlin Lockheed Martin has proposed developing a new multi functional sensor for both the AW101 and other aircraft 86 Lockheed originally planned to use a derivative of the F 35 s APG 81 radar however a rival Elta system and the Thales system both commenced flight trials in 2014 78 87 88 On 22 May 2015 the MOD and prime contractor Lockheed Martin UK selected Thales to provide the radar and mission system for the Crowsnest 89 Initial operating capability of the system was significantly delayed While Crowsnest was deployed with the U K carrier strike group in 2021 it experienced operating challenges and revised plans will now see Crowsnest achieve initial operating capability in the second quarter of 2023 and full operating capability in 2024 25 It has been reported that initially only five Merlins will be equipped with Crowsnest three of these being normally assigned to the high readiness aircraft carrier 90 On 15 December 2009 plans were announced to transfer RAF Merlin HC3s and HC3As to the Royal Navy s Commando Helicopter Force to replace retiring Sea King HC4 helicopters 91 The Sea King was set to retire in 2016 leaving the Navy operating a combination of the Wildcat and Merlin 91 846 NAS reformed with ex RAF Merlin HC3s on 30 September 2014 92 845 NAS followed on 9 July 2015 93 On 25 May 2018 the first of 25 converted Royal Marines Commando Merlin Mk4 4A were delivered to Royal Naval Air Station RNAS Yeovilton 94 95 In July 2020 the Merlin HM2 and HC4 4A helicopters were planned to be in service until 2029 and 2030 respectively 96 On 11 June 2021 it was confirmed that their Out of Service Date OSD had been moved to 2040 97 Royal Air Force Edit Merlin HC3 in Iraq 2008 The RAF ordered 22 Merlin HC3 for transport missions the first of which entered service in January 2001 with No 28 Squadron RAF based at RAF Benson The type is equipped with extended range fuel tanks and is capable of air to air refuelling The Merlin is frequently utilised for troop transport duties and for the transport of bulky objects either internally or underslung including vehicles and artillery 98 The Merlin Depth Maintenance Facility at RNAS Culdrose performed most tasks upon the Merlin HC3 99 The Merlin s first operational deployment was to the Balkans region in 2003 100 RAF Merlins were first deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Telic in 2004 supporting coalition forces and were operated as the main medevac asset in southern Iraq both Flight Lieutenant Kev Harris and Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman were awarded the DFC during this period 101 Merlins routinely operated around Basra until Britain s withdrawal in June 2009 102 In 2002 Westland made an unsuccessful unsolicited offer to the British Ministry of Defence proposing an enhanced Merlin variant intended to satisfy the demand for additional lift capacity 103 An alternative measure was the acquisition of six AW101s from Denmark in 2007 designated Merlin HC3A these were assigned to the RAF allowing Merlins to be deployed in Afghanistan 104 The HC3A is used for training and not for frontline operations due to various configuration differences 105 In December 2007 a second Merlin squadron No 78 Squadron was formed at RAF Benson 106 RAF Merlin HC3A 2008 In 2009 five Merlin Mk3s were operating in Afghanistan transporting troops and supplies The deployment to Afghanistan was criticised as the aircraft reportedly lacked protective Kevlar armour 107 By July 2010 the Merlin fleet was fully fitted with ballistic armour 54 The deployment of Merlins to Afghanistan allowed the detachment of Sea Kings to be withdrawn from the region in October 2011 108 As part of the UK drawdown in Afghanistan Merlins were withdrawn from theatre in June 2013 109 In 2012 the RAF s Merlin HC3 3A fleet began to be transferred to the Royal Navy for use by the Commando Helicopter Force Royal Navy personnel worked alongside RAF crew at Benson to build experience during the transition 110 The 454m Merlin Life Sustainment Programme resulted in 25 HC3 3A airframes being fitted with the cockpit electronics of the HM2 folding tails and main rotor heads strengthened landing gear deck lashing mounting points obsolescence updates fast roping points and a common emergency egress system 105 The first HC4 is to begin flight trials in September 2017 with an IOC in mid 2018 105 an interim folding main rotor head will be fitted to some HC3 for shipborne operations prior to the HC4 upgrade 105 Command of the UK Merlin HC3 3A fleet was formally transferred from the RAF to the Royal Navy during a ceremony at RAF Benson on 30 September 2014 As part of the same ceremony the RAF s 78 Sqn was disbanded and the Royal Navy s 846 Naval Air Squadron stood up with the Merlin 111 The RAF s 28 AC continued to operate as part of the Commando Helicopter Force until July 2015 when 28 AC Sqn stood down and 845 Naval Air Squadron stood up 846 NAS relocated from RAF Benson to RNAS Yeovilton in March 2015 with 845 NAS following in June 2016 112 Italian Navy Edit Italian Navy airborne early warning AEW variant at Luni Sarzana 2007 In 1997 the Italian government ordered 16 AW101 helicopters for the Italian Navy with options for four more These AW101 included eight of the anti surface submarine ASuW ASW version four airborne early warning AEW four amphibious support helicopters ASH 113 The government then exercised its option for four additional ASH helicopters which were delivered by 2006 113 The same year the government ordered two more AW101 ASH helicopters in a slightly modified version 113 The first Italian Navy production helicopter MM81480 flew on 4 October 1999 and was officially presented to the press on 6 December 1999 Italy accepted delivery of the 21st AW101 configured for anti submarine warfare on 4 August 2009 114 In total 22 AW101 helicopters have been delivered to the Italian Navy 113 Italian AW101s have operated from a variety of ships and have seen service overseas in 2009 the Italian Navy used its AW101 fleet as executive transports for visiting heads of state and officials during the 35th G8 summit 114 In 2010 the Italian Navy deployed three AW101s to Afghanistan where they were flown in both the transport and utility roles 115 In 2011 it was reported that the Italian contingent in Afghanistan consisting of AW101s had been providing coverage of a wide area of the country 116 Italian Air Force Edit In June 2011 the AW101 was chosen by the Italian Air Force to replace its ageing Sea King HH 3F helicopters in the combat search and rescue role A total of 15 helicopters in the HH 101A variant were ordered and delivered between 2016 and 2020 117 118 Royal Canadian Air Force Edit Main article AgustaWestland CH 149 Cormorant RCAF CH 149 Cormorant In 1997 in light of the declining condition of its helicopter fleet Canada launched the Canadian Search and Rescue Helicopter competition It was won by the EH101 which was designated CH 149 Cormorant in Canadian service 119 In 2004 the EH101 was entered into a Canadian competition to replace the shipboard Sea King fleet but the Sikorsky CH 148 Cyclone was selected 120 In 2013 following difficulties with the CH 148 procurement 121 the Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF was reported to be seriously considering cancelling the contract with Sikorsky and was investigating the possibility of procuring the AW101 instead 122 However an initial batch of six Cyclones was delivered to the RCAF in June 2015 123 In December 2022 Canada s Department of National Defence announced a C 1 24 billion contract for procurement of three additional aircraft and upgrades to the existing fleet to current configuration of the helicopter this will increase the fleet to 16 aircraft The RCAF also acquired its own advanced training simulator configured to the new modernized cockpit 124 Royal Danish Air Force Edit In 2001 the Royal Danish Air Force RDAF announced the purchase of eight EH101s for SAR duties and six tactical troop transports for 722 Squadron 125 The last of the 14 AW101s was delivered in March 2007 and the first SAR AW101s became operational out of Karup Airport in April 2007 In 2007 the six troop transport AW101s were transferred to the British MOD in exchange the British government ordered six new build AW101s as replacements for the RDAF 126 RDAF AW101 2007 Danish AW101s have a higher gross weight capacity of 15 600 kg and were as delivered coated in a paint designed to reduce the aircraft s infrared signature In the SAR role RDAF AW101s have a crew of six and were initially painted yellow to distinguish themselves from AW101 allocated to military duties 126 but were later painted green and all 14 AW101s are used for SAR and troop transport 127 128 On 28 January 2008 the drive shaft of a Danish AW101 broke leading to an emergency landing at Billund Airport Following the incident the Danish fleet was grounded as a precaution and the AW101 s future was publicly debated 129 In the first six months of 2008 the RDAF reported an operational availability of roughly 50 well below the target of 80 partly due to an inadequate maintenance organisation and staff shortages 130 In January 2011 the Danish Ministry of Defence reportedly could not afford the retrofitting of the AW101 fleet for Afghanistan operations against earlier reports of a deployment in 2012 131 132 In February 2013 Aviation Week reported that earlier reliability problems had been resolved and that a full upgrade package would be applied to Danish AW101s these included the addition of electronic warfare pods and a new electro optical system in advance of a deployment in Afghanistan in 2014 127 In September 2013 Danish AW101s were to receive L 3 Wescam MX 15 electro optical infrared EO IR sensors SAR aircraft already carry the FLIR Systems Star Safire II EO IR sensor 133 Royal Norwegian Air Force Edit A Norwegian Leonardo AW101 SAR Queen helicopter 2017 On 25 October 2007 a project started that had the intent to replace all Westland Sea King search and rescue helicopters with new rescue helicopters by 2020 On 19 December 2013 a contract was signed between AgustaWestland and the government for the purchase of 16 AW101 helicopters The agreement came about after fierce competition between different manufacturers to satisfy the Norwegian requirements Participants were AgustaWestland Eurocopter NHIndustries Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Boeing The government considered that AgustaWestland AW101 met the requirements and specifications in the best possible way 134 On 12 June 2017 Per Willy Amundsen Minister of Justice and Public Security announced the opening of Leonardo s AW101 Norway Training Centre at Stavanger Sola Air Station The training centre includes an AW101 Full Flight Simulator FFS jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE to Level D which is a CAE Series 3000 device along with an AW101 SAR console training system linked to the FFS to provide rear crew training The first training course at the centre started prior to delivery of the first rotorcraft The training center will be used by both Norwegian and foreign AW101 customers 135 The first AW101 was delivered in November 2017 136 137 The Norwegian AW101s officially started operating in the rescue role on 1 September 2020 138 The Sea Kings will be phased out gradually until the middle of 2023 after 47 years of service 139 The AW101 is named SAR Queen in Norwegian service 140 Portuguese Air Force Edit Portuguese Air Force Merlin 2007 The Portuguese Air Force had purchased 12 Merlins under a 446 million contract the first of which was delivered on 22 December 2004 The type has been used to conduct transport search and rescue and maritime surveillance missions progressively replacing the Aerospatiale Puma previously tasked with these missions 141 The main role of Portuguese AW101s is to perform search and rescue missions within Portugal s maritime zone They are operated by 751 Squadron and are kept on constant alert at three bases Montijo near Lisbon Lajes Field on the Azores and Porto Santo Island 142 Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Edit Japanese MCH 101 The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force JMSDF ordered 14 aircraft in 2003 to use in both the airborne mine countermeasures AMCM and transport roles The AW101 was modified by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the Japan Defense Agency designated the model MCH 101 Special features include the automated folding of the rotor and tail 143 For the mine hunting role the MCH 101 has been outfitted with Northrop Grumman s AQS 24A airborne mine hunting system 144 and AN AES 1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System ALMDS for a complete surface to bottom mine detection capability as well as Mk 104 acoustic mine sweeping gear 145 In 2002 AgustaWestland Kawasaki and Marubeni entered a general agreement for cooperation Kawasaki began the assembly of both the CH 101 and the MCH 101 in 2003 Kawasaki also began licensed production of the RTM322 engines in 2005 146 In a separate agreement between Marubeni and AgustaWestland a supply depot was established in Japan to support the MCH 101 and CH 101 fleets 147 The first MCH 101 was delivered to the JMSDF on 3 March 2006 143 The MCH 101 will replace the MH 53E S 80 M 1 in the AMCM role The CH 101 will operate in the transport support role for Antarctic expeditions replacing the Sikorsky S 61A and will be working in coordination with the Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology 148 After a whistle blower alleged that the MSDF s preference had been improperly changed an investigation was launched On 16 December 2016 the Japanese Ministry of Defense the Defense Agency having been upgraded to a ministry in 2007 stated that it had not confirmed lobbying efforts but the ministry admonished Tomohisa Takei the JMSDF chief of staff for mentioning the MCH 101 by name during the procurement process to his subordinates This had come after MSDF officials had reported that the Mitsubishi built SH helicopters may be best 149 150 VIP and other usage Edit AW101 VH 71 undergoing testing in Owego New York AgustaWestland developed a specialised luxury variant the AW101 VVIP Very Very Important Person i e a head of state aimed at business and VIP customers 151 As of April 2009 15 of all AW101s sold were for VIP purposes 31 By September 2013 customers operating the VIP variant included Saudi Arabia Algeria Nigeria and Turkmenistan 34 The AW101 was being acquired by the United States Marine Corps under the VXX program as a replacement for the Presidential Marine One helicopters Designated VH 71 Kestrel the variant was heavily customised and equipped with various self defense systems 152 However the programme encountered significant cost overruns and political opposition which led to the procurement being scrapped in June 2009 153 After the cancellation the delivered helicopters were sold to Canada for 164 million where they were used as source of spare parts for its fleet of Agusta Westland CH 149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters Separately the Marine Corps had also conducted studies into the adoption of the EH101 as a fallback option to the Bell Boeing V 22 Osprey tiltrotor during the 1990s 20 In April 2009 India ordered 12 AW101 to serve as executive transport helicopters for the Indian President and Prime Minister 154 The selection followed field trial assessments between the AW101 and the Sikorsky S 92 held in 2008 155 However the procurement was put on hold and subsequently cancelled due to the 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal in which Finmeccanica AgustaWestland s parent company were accused of using bribery to win the contract 156 157 The three helicopters delivered as part of the contract may be returned to the manufacturer as part of the arbitration process 158 Variants EditPre productionPP1 Westland built basic air vehicle prototype first flown 9 October 1987 159 PP2 Agusta built Italian basic air vehicle prototype first flown on 26 November 1987 and used for deck trials but was destroyed on 21 January 1993 following a rotor brake malfunction 159 160 PP3 Westland built and the first civil configured Heliliner used for engine vibration tests and icing trials in Canada 159 PP4 Westland built British naval prototype lost in an accident on 7 April 1995 after a drive train control rod failure 161 PP5 Westland built Merlin development aircraft eventually equipped with Merlin avionics 162 PP6 Agusta built development aircraft for Italian Navy variant first flown 26 April 1989 162 PP7 Agusta built military utility aircraft with rear loading ramp 162 PP8 Westland built civil prototype 162 PP9 Agusta built military utility prototype with rear loading ramp 162 Model 110 Italian Navy ASW ASuW variant eight built Powered by T 700 GE T6A1 engines Fitted with Eliradar APS 784 radar and Honeywell HELRAS dipping sonar Armed with torpedoes or Marte anti ship missiles 162 Composite image of an RAF Merlin deploying flares Model 111 Royal Navy ASW ASuW variant designated Merlin HM1 by customer Powered by RTM322 engines and fitted with Blue Kestrel radar Thomson Marconi FLASH dipping sonar and Orange Reaper ESM 44 built 163 Model 112 Italian Navy early warning variant with same airframe as Model 110 but with Eliradar HEW 784 radar in large underfuselage radome Four built 164 Series 200 Proposed military utility version with no rear loading ramp 164 Series 300 Heliliner Proposed civil transport with no ramp 165 In 2000 British International Helicopters conducted service trials using PP8 these did not lead to a commercial service 22 Series 310 Proposed version of Heliliner with full airline avionics for operation from oil platforms No production 166 Model 410 Italian Navy transport variant with folding rotors and tail boom Four built 166 Model 411 Royal Air Force transport variant designated Merlin HC3 by customer 22 built 167 Model 413 Italian Navy special forces and amphibious assault transport with more advanced avionics 168 Model 500 Proposed civil utility variant with rear ramp 168 Model 510 Civil utility variant with rear ramp two built One used for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Agency and one used to support US101 bid 168 Model 511 Canadian military search and rescue variant designated CH 149 Cormorant by customer 169 Model 512 Merlin Joint Supporter for Royal Danish Air Force Eight acquired for search and rescue 512 SAR and six for tactical troop transport 512 TTT The six transports were sold to RAF as Merlin HC3As and replaced by six new build Merlins 170 Model 514 Portuguese Air Force search and rescue variant six built 171 Model 515 Portuguese Air Force fisheries protection variant two built 171 Model 516 Portuguese Air Force combat search and rescue variant four built 171 Model 518 Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force mine countermeasures and transport variant two built Model 519 Presidential Transport variant for the United States Marine Corps as the VH 71 Kestrel four test vehicles and five pilot production aircraft built 152 Model 610 Algerian Naval variant 6 delivered 172 Model 611 Italian Air Force Combat Search and Rescue variant powered by CT7 8E engines 173 15 on order Model 612 SAR Queen Norwegian search and rescue variant operated by the Air Force 16 ordered with option for 6 more 174 Model 640 Saudi Arabian VVIP variant operated by the Air Force 2 delivered 172 Model 641 Indian VVIP variant See 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal Latterly delivered to Nigerian and Azerbaijani Air Forces 172 Model 642 Algerian VVIP variant 2 delivered 172 Model 643 Turkmenistani VVIP variant operated by the Air Force 2 delivered 172 Merlin HM1 Royal Navy designation for the Model 111 72 Merlin HM2 Avionics retrofit of 30 HM1s for the Royal Navy 81 RAF Merlin carrying a L118 105 mm howitzer Merlin HC3 Royal Air Force designation for the Model 411 98 Merlin HC3A Royal Air Force designation for six former Royal Danish Air Force Model 512s modified to UK standards 126 Merlin HC3i Royal Navy will fit seven HC3 with folding rotor heads as an interim 3i measure until the full HC4 upgrade is available 105 Merlin HC4 4A The conversion of 25 RAF HC3 3A 19 HC3 and 6 HC3A for RN use in hand with the first flight taking place in November 2016 175 HM2 cockpit folding tail blades and other adaptations for naval use 105 CH 148 Petrel Ship based anti submarine helicopter for Canada 35 originally ordered by the Canadian Forces reduced to 28 and cancelled in 1993 164 CH 149 Chimo Search and rescue helicopter for Canada 15 ordered by the Canadian forces but later cancelled 164 CH 149 Cormorant Search and rescue helicopter for Canada 15 ordered and delivered 119 Lockheed Martin VH 71 Kestrel Cancelled USMC variant that was intended to serve as the US Presidential helicopter 152 SH 101A Italian Navy designation for the MP variant 176 Italian Air Force HH 101A EH 101A Italian Navy designation for the AEW variant 176 MH 101A Italian Navy designation for the Amphibious Support Helicopter ASH variant 176 HH 101A Italian Air Force designation for the CSAR variant 177 Kawasaki Heavy Industries MCH 101 143 Japan Defense Agency designation of Model 518Operators EditGovernment Edit Map of current AW101 operators A Portuguese Merlin lifts off from Monte Real Air Base AlgeriaAlgerian Air Force 178 Algerian Navy 179 CanadaRoyal Canadian Air Force see CH 149 Cormorant DenmarkRoyal Danish Air Force 179 IndonesiaIndonesian Air Force 179 ItalyItalian Air Force 179 180 An Italian Navy AW101 flies over the carrier Cavour Italian Navy 179 181 JapanJapan Maritime Self Defense Force 10 179 182 Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department 183 NigeriaNigerian Air Force 184 185 NorwayRoyal Norwegian Air Force 179 PolandPolish Navy 4 on order 186 PortugalPortuguese Air Force 179 Saudi Arabia Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department AW101 Royal Saudi Air Force 187 TurkmenistanTurkmen Air Force 179 United KingdomRoyal Navy 179 Former operators Edit United KingdomRoyal Air Force 188 Notable accidents EditSee also AgustaWestland CH 149 Cormorant Notable incidents and accidentsSpecifications Merlin HM1 Edit The shovel shaped BERP rotor blade tips of an RAF Merlin HC3 Data from Jane s All The World s Aircraft 2003 2004 189 AgustaWestland 190 General characteristicsCrew 3 4 Capacity 26 troops 38 passengers or 5 tonnes of payload or 4 stretchers with sonar array removed for Merlin HM1 164 30 seated troops or 45 standing fully equipped combat troops or 3 050 kg 6 724 lb of internal payload 5 520 kg 12 169 lb of external payload or 16 stretchers for AW101 190 Length 19 53 m 64 ft 1 in fuselage Height 6 62 m 21 ft 9 in Empty weight 10 500 kg 23 149 lb Max takeoff weight 14 600 kg 32 187 lb Powerplant 3 Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322 01 turboshaft engines 1 566 kW 2 100 hp each take off power Main rotor diameter 18 59 m 61 ft 0 in Main rotor area 271 51 m2 2 922 5 sq ft root RAE 9651 tip RAE 9645 RAE 9634 191 Performance Cruise speed 278 km h 173 mph 150 kn Never exceed speed 309 km h 192 mph 167 kn Range 1 389 km 863 mi 750 nmi 192 Endurance 5 hours Service ceiling 4 575 m 15 010 ft Armament Bombs 4 Sting Ray homing torpedoes or Mk 11 depth charges 193 Avionics Smiths Industries OMI 20 SEP dual redundant digital automatic flight control system Navigation systems BAE Systems LINS 300 ring laser gyro Litton Italia LISA 4000 strapdown attitude and heading reference system Radar Selex Galileo Blue Kestrel 5000 maritime surveillance radar ECM Racal Orange Reaper ESM Sonar Thomson Marconi Sonar AQS 903 acoustic processor Active passive sonobuoys Thomson Sintra FLASH dipping sonar arrayNotable appearances in media EditMain article AgustaWestland AW101See also Edit Aviation portal Italy portalAgusta A 101Related development AgustaWestland CH 149 Cormorant Lockheed Martin VH 71 KestrelAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Changhe Z 18 Eurocopter EC725 Mil Mi 17 Mil Mi 38 Sikorsky CH 148 Cyclone Sikorsky S 92Related lists List of rotorcraft List of active United Kingdom military aircraftReferences EditCitations Finmeccanica Approves Merger And Spin Off Operations For The Implementation of The Divisionalisation Process Archived from the original on 8 August 2016 Retrieved 16 June 2016 a b AgustaWestland 2008 p 1 EH 101 Merlin factsheet Portuguese Air Force Archived from the original on 20 June 2009 Retrieved 5 February 2010 Danish Airforce factsheet Danish Airforce Archived from the original on 18 June 2008 Retrieved 5 February 2010 Brown D K Moore George 2012 Rebuilding the Royal Navy Warship Design Since 1945 Seaforth p 110 ISBN 978 1 84832 150 2 Royal Navy keeps its wings Flight International 25 November 1978 pp 1926 1927 Archived from the original on 6 December 2008 Retrieved 26 January 2008 Briganti Giovanni de Agusta Westland and Europe defense aerospace com Archived from the original on 29 September 2011 Retrieved 5 February 2010 Aeronautica amp Difesa No 14 Dec 1987 p 34 Go ahead for Anglo Italian EH101 Helicopter Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology 56 3 11 12 1984 doi 10 1108 eb035956 Archived from the original on 30 July 2012 Twigge Stephen August 1992 The EH101 helicopter A fully integrated international collaborative program Defense amp Security Analysis 8 2 133 146 doi 10 1080 07430179208405535 Martin 1996 p 137 McLaughlin Audrey 28 July 1992 Cold War copters a waste of money Toronto Star Archived from the original on 8 November 2012 Retrieved 5 July 2017 Martin 1996 pp 108 109 Dobbin 1993 pp 108 109 Martin 1996 pp 124 125 Martin 1996 p 131 Canada settles claim on Canceled Helicopters The New York Times 24 January 1996 Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Sea Kings possible replacement familiar to Canadians cbc ca 6 September 2013 Archived from the original on 10 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 First flight of the prototype PP1 of the EH Industries EH101 Type Series Vertipedia 19 October 1987 Retrieved 29 June 2020 a b AgustaWestland AW101 Jane s All the World s Aircraft 13 June 2011 Archived from the original on 18 April 2011 Retrieved 4 January 2012 Lake 2007 pp 122 125 a b Individual History EH Industries EH101 PP8 G OIOI ZJ116 PDF RAF Museum Archived from the original PDF on 3 April 2012 Retrieved 17 January 2012 Hotten Russell 23 February 1995 Westland tipped for MoD order The Independent London Archived from the original on 29 August 2016 Retrieved 23 August 2017 Italian navy orders 16 EH 101 helicopters Defense Daily 10 October 1995 Cooper 1997 pp 69 72 Ford Terry 1997 Advances in rotorcraft Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology 69 5 447 452 doi 10 1108 00022669710367434 Evans 2004 p 24 Westland merger confirmed BBC News 26 July 2000 Archived from the original on 22 July 2004 Retrieved 6 February 2010 Hope Christopher 27 May 2004 Italians take controls at UK helicopter maker The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 18 November 2018 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Rotorcraft Report AgustaWestland Rotor amp Wing Access Intelligence LLC 1 August 2007 Archived from the original on 8 August 2007 Retrieved 11 August 2007 The company re branded its medium lift EH101 transport the AW101 to reflect the full integration of its Agusta and Westland a b c d Kington Tom 27 April 2009 As U S Sales Slip Away AW101 Closes On Italian CSAR Order Defense News dead link AgustaWestland 400 million Euro contract in Algeria Avionews 20 November 2007 Archived from the original on 7 July 2011 Retrieved 25 November 2007 Algeria orders six Super Lynx helicopters defenceweb co za 8 August 2012 Archived from the original on 26 August 2012 Retrieved 13 August 2012 a b Perry Dominic AgustaWestland pursues new AW101 sales avenues Archived 20 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flight International 17 September 2013 Accessed 17 September 2013 Drwiega Andrew Thinking Outside The Box In Italy Archived 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Rotor amp Wing 28 February 2014 Boeing Secures All Rights to AgustaWestland AW101 for US Navy VXX Presidential Helicopter Program Archived 4 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Boeing 7 June 2010 Sikorsky last bidder standing in USAF s combat rescue helicopter battle Archived 22 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Flight International 12 December 2012 Gunston and Spick 1986 p 112 Marks N G August 1989 Polymer Composites for Helicopter Structures Metals and Materials International Met Mater 5 8 456 459 a b c Crawford 2003 p 27 Jackson 2009 p 274 Prince J Colin James F Farrell H Woo P Yu Ray Leerentveld 5 June 1995 Color AMLCD displays for the EH 101 helicopter Cockpit Displays Ii SPIE 2462 234 240 Bibcode 1995SPIE 2462 234P doi 10 1117 12 210962 S2CID 111311180 Archived from the original on 4 July 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2010 EASA Type Certificate Data Sheet E 009 Turbomeca RTM 322 PDF www easa europa eu EASA 16 October 2013 Retrieved 19 June 2022 EASA Type Certificate Data Sheet EASA IM E 010 pdf www easa europa eu EASA 17 December 2020 Retrieved 19 June 2022 AW101 brochure PDF Leonardo Retrieved 5 January 2021 Witt Mike Spring 1990 Rolls Royce a fount of military power The RUSI Journal 135 1 39 45 doi 10 1080 03071849008445420 RTM322 Rolls Royce plc Archived from the original on 4 March 2009 Retrieved 16 March 2009 RTM322 turboshaft Rolls Royce plc Retrieved 21 April 2012 Archived 9 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Prouty Ray Helicopter Aerodynamics Helobooks 2003 a b Jackson 2003 p 236 a b AgustaWestland 2008 p 4 AgustaWestland 2008 p 12 Rivers Brendan P 1 November 2001 Nordic Helo paths diverge Journal of Electronic Defense The first had no specific requirements other than that it needed to include an EW controller a radar warning receiver a missile warning system a laser warning system and a chaff flare dispenser with an optional RF jammer a b Permali Gloucester protects RAF Merlins Flight International 22 July 2010 FLIR Systems awarded contract to provide Thermal Imaging Systems for Royal Danish and Portuguese Air Forces Contract valued at more than 10 million Business Wire 2 October 2002 Airbus Military C295 carries Marte Mk2 S anti ship missile for first time Airbus Military 17 July 2012 Archived from the original on 19 October 2015 Retrieved 13 August 2012 The Market for Anti Ship Missiles PDF Forecast International August 2011 p 4 Archived PDF from the original on 16 September 2012 Retrieved 7 January 2012 Matthews 1992 p 82 Moir and Seabridge 2008 pp 343 345 a b c Agusta Westland s EH101 Avionics Today 1 February 2005 Archived from the original on 8 April 2014 Retrieved 6 January 2012 Doppler Velocity Sensor ANV 353 PDF Selex Communications Archived from the original PDF on 10 June 2015 Retrieved 30 January 2012 AW101 Avionics AgustaWestland Archived from the original on 19 January 2012 Retrieved 6 January 2012 Friedman 1997 p 202 2 Bn for British EH101 Merlin Multi Role Upgrades Defense Industry Daily 19 April 2011 Archived from the original on 18 October 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Lavington 2011 p 428 Evans 2004 p 23 Cox Bob 1 November 2001 Lockheed Martin teams with European firm to market new All Weather Helicopter Fort Worth Star As a transport the EH 101 could be configured to carry 24 to 30 troops up to five tons of cargo or up to 16 stretchers to carry wounded AgustaWestland 2008 pp 2 3 Smith Alan F 1 October 1997 Aluminum lithium alloys in helicopters Advanced Materials amp Processes Archived from the original on 2 June 2013 Heavy Lift Cargo Hook onboardsystems com Archived from the original on 24 May 2013 Retrieved 28 January 2012 Scott Richard 9 December 2003 Sea change Flight International a b Merlin MK1 Royal Navy Archived from the original on 31 December 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Probe continues into Merlin crash BBC News 31 March 2004 Archived from the original on 21 June 2004 Retrieved 21 November 2006 New Helicopter Blades are a Pilot s Dream Ottawa Citizen 21 July 2012 Cobbold Richard April 1994 The Maritime helicopter Chief of the Defence Staff 139 2 56 63 doi 10 1080 03071849408445805 page 21 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 22 December 2010 Merlin HM1 Helicopter On The Front Line For 10 Years HM Forces 3 October 2011 a b c d Osborne Tony 15 July 2014 U K Considering Bringing Orphaned Merlins Into Service Archived from the original on 29 July 2014 Retrieved 16 July 2014 Scott Richard 19 July 2016 Lockheed Martin completes Merlin HM2 deliveries IHS Jane s 360 Archived from the original on 20 July 2016 Retrieved 20 July 2016 Osborne Tony 28 September 2012 Merlin Mk2 puts to sea for the first time Shephard Media Archived from the original on 16 October 2012 a b Jane s Defence Weekly 8 July 2009 p 14 The Royal Navy s Merlin helicopter fleet bearing a heavy load Navy Lookout 19 September 2015 The UK Carrier Strike Group sets sail Navy Lookout www navylookout com 1 May 2021 Almost 200 Helston navy crew leave for prestigious new role for rest of the year Falmouth Packet UK s Crowsnest surveillance programme takes off Flight International 17 January 2017 Archived from the original on 6 April 2019 Hoyle Craig 15 September 2011 Thales outlines Sea King 7 replacement proposal Flight International Archived from the original on 11 December 2011 Scott Richard 7 May 2014 UK extends Sea King ASaC 7 life out to 2018 IHS Jane s Defence Weekly Archived from the original on 29 May 2014 Ministry of Defense 26 June 2020 Carrier Strike Preparing for deployment retrieved 4 January 2021 New surveillance system for future Royal Navy aircraft carriers revealed gov uk Archived from the original on 17 July 2015 Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control due to achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2023 Navy Lookout www navylookout com 19 December 2022 a b Ships and aircraft axed to pay for war against Taleban Navy News 16 December 2009 Archived from the original on 11 June 2011 Navy takes delivery of Merlin fleet Navy News 1 October 2014 Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 Retrieved 1 November 2014 845 thrive as famous naval squadron takes charge of battlefield Merlins Royal News 10 July 2015 Archived from the original on 12 July 2015 Retrieved 16 August 2015 Royal Navy receives first Commando Merlin Jane s 360 www janes com Archived from the original on 27 May 2018 Retrieved 28 May 2018 Defence minister welcomes first of new carrier ready helicopter fleet Royal Navy royalnavy mod uk Archived from the original on 29 May 2018 Retrieved 28 May 2018 Quin Jeremy 7 July 2020 Merlin Helicopters Written question 65947 UK Parliament Retrieved 8 July 2020 UK extends Merlin operations until 2040 a b Merlin HC3 Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 23 February 2007 Retrieved 16 January 2012 Integrated Merlin Operational Support Serco Archived from the original on 8 April 2010 Retrieved 5 February 2010 Merlin HC3 Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 7 December 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Top Operational Honour for Pilot mod uk Archived from the original on 23 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 Merlin Helicopter Operations in Iraq by Wing Commander Jeff Lindsay Royal Institute of Navigation 1 December 2011 Archived from the original on 6 April 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Barrie D 23 December 2002 Westland pushes additional Merlins for U K lift needs Aviation Week amp Space Technology 157 26 29 Burchell Bill 6 August 2009 U K Puma Upgrade Approved Aviation Week a b c d e f Osborne Anthony 27 January 2014 U K To Spend 454m on Merlin Modernization Program Aviation Week Archived from the original on 3 February 2014 Retrieved 30 May 2019 78 Squadron Operational Royal Air Force 3 December 2007 Archived from the original on 5 December 2007 Retrieved 10 December 2007 MoD denies Merlin unsafe claims BBC News 4 August 2009 Hoyle Craig 25 October 2011 UK withdraws Sea King transports from Afghanistan Flight International Archived from the original on 29 December 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Inglis Will Final Flight for Merlins British Forces News Archived from the original on 17 July 2013 Navy News Reporting from the Fleet navynews co uk Archived from the original on 23 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 Prince Michael of Kent attends service at RAF Benson BBC News 10 July 2015 Archived from the original on 14 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 Ballance Theo 2016 The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm Air Britain p 211 ISBN 978 0 85130 489 2 a b c d EH 101 Italian Ministry of Defense Retrieved 29 May 2020 a b Italian Navy Takes Delivery of Its 21st AW101 Helicopter AgustaWestland 4 August 2009 Archived from the original on 5 June 2013 Peruzzi Luca 15 November 2010 Italian Navy deploys first AW101s to Afghanistan Flight International Archived from the original on 8 March 2012 Retrieved 4 January 2011 Allies Absent in Afghanistan Helicopters Hired Defense Industry Daily 7 November 2011 Archived from the original on 4 February 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2012 First Italian Air Force HH 101A CAESAR enters service Leonardo Retrieved 29 May 2020 Peruzzi Luca 17 June 2011 Italian air force chief details Libyan operations Flight International Archived from the original on 20 December 2011 Retrieved 4 January 2012 a b Plamondon 2009 pp 151 152 Plamondon 2009 pp 184 186 Other options sought for Sea King helicopter replacements CBC CA 5 September 2013 Archived from the original on 6 September 2013 Retrieved 6 September 2013 Chase Steven 5 September 2013 Helicopter purchase s fate in doubt as Ottawa examines other models The Globe and Mail Archived from the original on 7 September 2013 Retrieved 6 September 2013 CH 148 Cyclones delivered to Halifax airbase cbc ca 19 June 2015 Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 22 September 2015 Minister Anand announces Cormorant Mid Life Upgrade and Simulator Solution Contracts Award to ensure continued Search and Rescue capabilities Defence National 22 December 2022 Retrieved 23 December 2022 AgustaWestland received a UKPd250 mil contract to supply 14 helicopters to Denmark The Engineer 21 September 2001 Archived from the original on 24 June 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2010 a b c Hoyle Craig 12 December 2006 Nordic special Great Danes Flight International Archived from the original on 8 March 2012 Retrieved 6 January 2012 a b Osborne Anthony 4 February 2013 Denmark Plans AW101 Deployment To Afghanistan Aviation Week Archived from the original on 2 June 2013 Retrieved 30 May 2019 EH 101 Merlin Archived 21 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Royal Danish Air Force Accessed 19 December 2013 Forsvarets fejlindkob star i ko Berlingske Tidende 4 February 2008 Archived from the original on 7 February 2008 Retrieved 5 February 2008 Extract from the report to the Public Accounts Committee on the Danish Defence s EH 101 helicopters PDF Rigsrevisionen September 2008 dead link Danske soldater far helikoptere for sent Berlingske Tidende 3 January 2011 Archived from the original on 23 September 2015 Retrieved 11 January 2012 Ingen helikopter til udsendte soldater Berlingske Tidende 25 October 2011 Archived from the original on 6 January 2016 Retrieved 12 November 2016 Hoyle Craig 2 September 2013 Danish AW101s to get MX 15 sensor fit Flight International Archived from the original on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 7 September 2013 AgustaWestland til sluttforhandlinger om nye redningshelikoptre Government of Norway official site in Norwegian Leonardo s AW101 Norway training centre opens Leonardocompany com 13 June 2017 Archived from the original on 19 June 2017 Perry Dominic 20 November 2017 Norway takes first SAR roled AW101 Flight Global Archived from the original on 20 November 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2017 Jennings Gareth 19 November 2017 Norway receives first AW101 SAR helicopter IHS Jane s 360 Archived from the original on 20 November 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2017 Dallokken Per Erlien Urke Eirik Helland 2 September 2020 En Tesla eller Playstation 5 med rotorer Redningstjenesten forsoker a forklare hva Sar Queen betyr Tu no Norway to start operating world s best rescue helicopters on Tuesday The Norwegian Standard 27 August 2020 Dallokken Per Erlien 1 September 2020 Overtar for Sea King Nytt redningshelikopter har fatt nytt navn Tu no Harding Air International July 2010 pp 70 72 Portuguese Air Force s AW101 Fleet Achieves 10 000 Flying Hours AgustaWestland 12 July 2010 Archived from the original on 30 September 2010 a b c First MCH 101 Helicopter Goes to Japan Defense Agency KHI Archived from the original on 19 September 2015 Retrieved 13 July 2009 Waldron Greg 25 October 2011 Japan selects Northrop mine hunting gear for MCH101 fleet Flight International Archived from the original on 10 November 2011 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Showcasing MCH 101 Mine Warfare Helicopter Archived 18 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine Navyrecognition com 14 June 2017 Milestone RTM322 Engine goes to Japan Defense Agency KHI Archived from the original on 27 September 2011 Retrieved 21 December 2009 Marubeni And AgustaWestland Sign Spares Support Agreement AgustaWestland Archived from the original on 25 June 2009 Retrieved 1 April 2010 Kawasaki Aircraft KHI Archived from the original on 23 September 2010 Retrieved 5 February 2010 Top MSDF officer admonished for meddling in helicopter procurement process December 17 2016 Archived 3 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Japan Times ヘリ選定で海幕長を訓戒 特定機種例示 公正さ欠く Archived 4 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine 共同通信2016年12月16日 in Japanese EBACE 2008 Agusta Westland targets VVIPs with luxury AW101 Flight Daily News 19 May 2008 Archived from the original on 17 September 2010 Retrieved 6 February 2010 a b c Page Lewis 9 January 2009 Could the Airbus A380 be the new Air Force One Obama s chopper is European The Register Archived from the original on 10 August 2017 Retrieved 10 August 2017 US Navy Terminates VH 71 Presidential Helicopter Contract Archived 5 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine Flight International 2 June 2009 Rao Radhakrishna 10 August 2009 India approves deals for Ka 31 AW101 helicopters Flight International Archived from the original on 13 August 2009 Pandit Rajat 30 July 2009 PM President to get swanky copters The Times of India Archived from the original on 2 August 2009 PM President to get swanky copters Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine The Times of India 30 July 2009 India scraps 753m Finmeccanica helicopter deal BBC News 1 January 2014 Archived from the original on 4 February 2019 Retrieved 20 June 2018 India to encash 228 m euros bank guarantees of Agusta Indian Express 26 May 2014 Archived from the original on 11 July 2014 Retrieved 24 July 2014 a b c Lake 2007 p 122 EH101 crash caused by rotor brake Flight International No 19 25 May 1995 p 5 Archived from the original on 8 March 2012 Retrieved 3 January 2012 Lake 2007 pp 122 123 a b c d e f Lake 2007 p 123 Lake 2007 p 124 a b c d e Lake 2007 p 125 Lake 2007 pp 125 126 a b Lake 2007 p 126 Lake 2007 pp 126 127 a b c Lake 2007 p 128 Lake 2007 pp 128 129 Lake 2007 pp 129 131 a b c Parsons Gary 13 July 2010 Portugal s AW101 passes 10 000 hours Key Aero Archived from the original on 8 April 2014 a b c d e Construction List AW101 Planelogger Archived from the original on 10 April 2019 Retrieved 13 July 2009 AW101 611 www helis com Archived from the original on 18 January 2015 Retrieved 18 January 2015 AgustaWestland to final negotiations Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police 8 November 2013 Archived from the original on 10 November 2013 Retrieved 8 November 2013 Jennings Gareth Upgraded Merlin HC4 4A for Royal Marines makes maiden flight IHS Jane s 360 Archived from the original on 7 November 2016 Retrieved 7 November 2016 a b c Utilizzo Della Nomenclatura Mission Design Series MDS Neele Pubblicazioni Tecniche PPTT Di Competenza Della Daa PDF Ministero Della Defesa June 2011 Archived PDF from the original on 20 December 2013 Retrieved 15 July 2012 Reed Business Information Limited PICTURES First Italian air force HH 101A breaks cover flightglobal com Archived from the original on 23 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help Allport Dave July 2013 First Algerian VIP AW 101 Flight Testing Air Forces Monthly a b c d e f g h i j World Air Forces 2018 Flightglobal Insight 2018 Archived from the original on 6 February 2018 Retrieved 25 August 2018 HH 101A Aeronautica Militare Retrieved 4 June 2019 MH 101A Marina Militare Retrieved 4 June 2019 Defence of Japan 2022 Annual White Paper p 53 Japan Ministry of Defence Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department EH 101 Archived from the original on 19 June 2013 Retrieved 17 February 2013 Reed Business Information Limited Nigerian AW101 makes debut flight flightglobal com Archived from the original on 23 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help Guy Martin First Nigerian VIP AW101 delivered defenceweb co za Archived from the original on 23 July 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2015 Perry Donald 26 April 2019 Poland orders four AW101 helicopters for navy Flightglobal Archived from the original on 26 April 2019 Retrieved 26 April 2019 French President flies on made in Italy VVIP chopper in Saudi Arabia theaviationist com 22 January 2014 Archived from the original on 28 August 2018 Retrieved 25 August 2018 World Air Forces 2015 Flightglobal Insight 2015 Archived from the original on 24 March 2015 Retrieved 4 January 2015 Jackson 2003 pp 233 238 a b AW101 Archived 6 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine AgustaWestland Retrieved 4 July 2014 Lednicer David The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage m selig ae illinois edu Retrieved 16 April 2019 Merlin Mk1 Royal Navy Archived from the original on 31 December 2011 Retrieved 4 January 2012 Kulshrestha Sanatan 2015 Naval Strategic Insight IndraStra Global p 11 BibliographyAgustaWestland AW101 Utility permanent dead link AgustaWestland June 2008 Cooper Neil The business of death Britain s arms trade at home and abroad I B Tauris 1997 ISBN 1 85043 953 2 Crawford Stephen Twenty first century military helicopters today s fighting gunships Zenith Imprint 2003 ISBN 0 7603 1504 3 Dobbin Murray The politics of Kim Campbell from school trustee to Prime Minister James Lorimer amp Company 1993 ISBN 1 55028 413 4 Donald David ed The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft New York Barnes amp Noble Books 1997 ISBN 0 7607 0592 5 Eden Paul ed Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft London Amber Books 2004 ISBN 1 904687 84 9 Evans Nicholas D Military gadgets how advanced technology is transforming today s battlefield and tomorrow s FT Press 2004 ISBN 0 13 144021 7 Frawley Gerald The International Directory of Military Aircraft 2002 2003 Fyshwick ACT Australia Aerospace Publications 2002 ISBN 1 875671 55 2 Friedman Norman The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapons systems 1997 1998 Annapolis Maryland USA Naval Institute Press 1997 ISBN 1 55750 268 4 Gunston Bill and Mike Spick Modern fighting helicopters Random House Value Publishing 1986 ISBN 0 517 61349 2 Harding Ian Long distance wizard Air International Vol 79 No 1 July 2010 pp 70 75 ISSN 0306 5634 Jackson Paul Jane s All The World s Aircraft 2003 2004 2003 Jane s Information Group Coulsdon UK ISBN 0 7106 2537 5 Jackson Paul Munson Kenneth Peacock Lindsay Jane s All The World s Aircraft 2009 2010 2009 Jane s Information Group Coulsdon UK ISBN 0 7106 2880 3 Lake Jon Variant File AgustaWestland EH101 AW101 International Air Power Review Volume 22 Westport Connecticut USA AIRtime Publishing 2007 pp 116 135 ISBN 1 88058 879 X ISSN 1473 9917 Lavington Simon Moving Targets Elliott Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain 1947 67 Springer 2011 ISBN 1 84882 932 9 Martin Stephen The economics of offsets defence procurement and countertrade Routledge 1996 ISBN 3 7186 5782 1 Matthews Ron European armaments collaboration policy problems and prospects Routledge 1992 ISBN 3 7186 5244 7 Moir Ian and Allan G Seabridge Aircraft systems mechanical electrical and avionics subsystems integration John Wiley and Sons 2008 ISBN 0 470 05996 6 Plamondon Aaron The politics of procurement military acquisition in Canada and the Sea King helicopter UBC Press 2009 ISBN 0 7748 1714 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to AgustaWestland AW101 Official website Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 website Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 website EH 101 Merlin page in English on Portuguese Air Force site Danish EH 101 Merlin page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title AgustaWestland AW101 amp oldid 1133536228, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.