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SCENE
The UK’s Commando Helicopter
Force (CHF) received its first
Leonardo AW101 Commando Merlin
during a ceremony at Royal Naval Air
Station Yeovilton in Somerset on May
24, 2018. Built at Leonardo’s facility
in Yeovil, Commando Merlin HC4
ZJ129, coded N, was presented to the
assembled audience by Guto Bebb,
Minister for Defence Procurement.
The event marked a major
milestone for Leonardo’s Merlin LifeSustainment Programme (MLSP)
contract, which will see 25 former
Merlin HC3/HC3A helicopters
upgraded to HC4/HC4A standard in
a contract valued at £388 million.
Leonardo will deliver ten of these
fully marinised amphibious support
helicopters to CHF by the end of
2018 under phase 2 of the MLSP.
Operational trials at Yeovilton are
scheduled to commence soon,
ahead of embarkation aboard theRoyal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS
Queen Elizabeth (R08). Three
Commando Merlins will participate
alongside Royal Navy Merlin HM2s
and F-35B Lightning IIs during flight
trials aboard the carrier, which are
scheduled to commence during the
third quarter of 2018.
Phase 1 saw seven Merlin HC3
interim aircraft delivered on
schedule by March 2016. Phase 2
will see 25 Commando Merlin HC4/HC4A delivered through to the end
of the contract in 2020.
The aircraft is fully optimised for ship
operations with features that include
automatic main rotor blade and
tail folding, uprated undercarriage
and enhanced avionics and
cockpit features developed for
the Royal Navy’s Merlin HM2 anti-
submarine helicopter. The aircraft
has also received an upgraded self-
protection system. Ian HardingCommando Merlin HC4 ZJ129/N during the ceremony. Ian HardingLeonardo delivers first Commando Merlin
Ten years of operations
On June 2, 2018, the Spanish Unidad
Militar de Emergencias (Military
Emergency Unit) celebrated on
the 10th anniversary of its Batallón
de Helicópteros de Emergencia II
(BHELEME II, Emergency Helicopter
Battalion II), a Spanish Army Aviation
(FAMET) unit based at Bétera army
base, Valencia.
This specialised battalion is tasked to
respond to emergency situations around
the country, including large forest fires,
earthquakes and rescue missions.
BHELEME II operates a mixed fleet of
three Airbus Helicopters Cougar andfour EC135 helicopters, although it also
utilises Super Pumas from BHELMA IV at
El Copero, Seville, when necessary.
These heavily modified Cougars are
equipped with an multispectral imaging
system, searchlight, Bambi Bucket
and crane, amongst other things. One
Cougar (ET-669) crashed at Requena
aerodrome, Valencia, in September
2015 during a training flight, fortunately
without injury to the crew.
The unit is also celebrating the
achievement of 100,000 flight hours
since its creation as UHEL II in 1971.
Roberto YáñezSeen here at its home base Bétera on June 2 is AS532AL HU.27-01/ET-668 (c/n 2733),
the first of four Cougars ordered in 2006 by the Spanish MoD to equip the battalion.
Roberto YáñezCH-149 Cormorant upgrade
Leonardo announced on May
29, 2018, that in partnership with
Team Cormorant, it will deliver
a comprehensive upgrade to
Canada’s CH-149 SAR fleet. In
addition, the current fleet of 14
helicopters will be increased to 21.
The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade
programme will extend the
helicopter’s life of type to at least- Team Cormorant is made up
of Leonardo, CAE, GE Canada and
Rockwell Collins Canada.
A Leonard spokesperson said:
“Based on the AW101-612 standard,
Leonardo and Team Cormorant
will provide a very low-risk solution
to upgrade, enhance and address
obsolescence, as well as augment
the fleet to return the Cormorant to
all four [Canadian] main operating
bases.” Nigel PittawayTiger Mk3 given go ahead
French Armed Forces Minister
Florence Parly announced on May
7, 2018, that the European Tiger Mk3
programme will go ahead.
The Tiger Mk3 is a significant upgrade
to the capabilities of the current
Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tiger
attack helicopter and is contracted
through the European Organisation
for Joint Armament Cooperation on
behalf of the French Aviation Légère
de l’Armée de Terre, Spain’s Fuerzas
Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra
and Germany’s Heeresflieger.
Florence Parly said: “A true mid-life upgrade, the ‘Tiger Standard
3’ will maintain the Tiger weapon
system competitive beyond 2040
and capable of integrating future
combat systems, to develop its
collaborative combat capabilities to
meet future threats.”
The Tiger Mk3 upgrade will cost
up to €1 billion and deliveries
are planned to begin in the next
decade. A decision on whether the
Mk3 standard helicopters will be
an upgrade of the existing Tiger
airframe or a new-build helicopter
is yet to be announced. Nigel Pittaway