stronger and lighter than traditional
aerostructures. It benefits from the
additional ‘grunt’ provided by twin LHTEC
CTS800-4N engines, which produce a third
more power than the Rolls-Royce Gem
turboshafts fitted to the Lynx.
This uplift enables operations in
extreme ‘hot and high’ conditions, and
provides much-improved single-engine
performance. It will permit built-in mass
growth provision up to a predicted
out-of-service maximum all-up mass
(MAUM) of 13,779lb (6,250kg). To allow
this additional power to be exploited,
the main rotor gearbox is uprated to a
maximum continuous power rating of
2,150shp, and modified to incorporate
involute output stage gears. The
main rotor hub is re-tested and re-
qualified to MAUM.
Just as important are the changes
inside the cockpit. The Wildcat’s core
avionics are based on an integrated
‘glass’ cockpit with four 10 x 8in active
matrix multi-function color displays,
embedded GPS and inertial navigation,
an aircraft management system withdual-redundant control displays, and
integrated secure communications.
While the naval HMA2 variant is
overwhelmingly common to the Wildcat
AH1 variant — 34 of which have been
built for the Army Air Corps’ Battlefield
Reconnaissance Helicopter program —
the RN derivative embodies a number of
modifications for shipborne operations,
such as a deck lock, the castoring
nosewheel and flotation devices.
It also introduces external weapon
store carriers.
In terms of mission systems, both
variants share a common mission
system tactical processor, jointly
developed by General Dynamics UK
and Leonardo Helicopters, the L3
Wescam MX-15Di electro-optical/laser
designator system combining infra-red,
TV and laser designator sub-systems
in a nose-mounted turret, and the
HIDAS 15 defensive aids system. The
latter incorporates a Sky Guardian 2000
radar warning receiver (RWR), the AN/
AAR-57 missile approach warning
system, Vicon upward/downward-firingcountermeasures dispensers, and a
defensive aids system controller.
Again, however, the HMA2 incorporates
additional mission equipment to equip
it for the maritime role. This includes the
Leonardo Airborne and Space Systems
Seaspray 7400E multi-mode active
electronically scanned radar, an ESM
function (enabled via a ‘back end’ software
change on the Sky Guardian 2000 RWR
sub-system), and an I-band transponder.Mindset change
According to CDR Gus Carnie, the Wildcat
Maritime Force commander at RNAS
Yeovilton, the biggest challenge is to get
the rest of the Navy — and the UK defense
environment as a whole — to understand
that this new aircraft is so much more than
a Lynx with a makeover. ‘Over the last two-
and-a-half years we’ve taken full delivery
of the most capable helicopter the Royal
Navy has ever possessed’, he enthuses. ‘It
marks a total step-change.
‘It is far more powerful, and far more
capable with its 360° electronically
scanned radar [the older, mechanicallyAbove: As HMS
Queen Elizabeth
sails into her
home port of
Portsmouth for
the first time, a
Wildcat hovers
on station above
the Navy flagship.
Crown Copyright/
LPhot Dan
RosenbaumTYPE REPORT // NAVY WILDCAT
66 March 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
64-69 Wildcats C.indd 66 19/01/2018 11:07