T
HE WESTLAND LYNX
helicopter was a staple of
British military operations for
40 years. In March 2017, the
last handful of Lynx HMA8s
with 815 Naval Air Squadron
(NAS) took their final curtain-call in Royal
Navy service. A formal decommissioning
parade was held at RNAS Yeovilton on
March 23 last year and a final flight,
with fleet commander VADM Ben Key
embarked, greeted the assault ship HMS
Ocean as she returned to Devonport
after a six-month deployment. The
aircraft, serial ZF563/312 — the very last
Lynx to roll off the Westland production
line for the RN back in 1988 — arrived
back at Yeovilton that night, bringing
operations to an end. In January 2018,
the Army Air Corps bade farewell to its
remaining operational Lynx AH9As.
During a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) career that
spanned just over four decades, the Lynx
— in various marks — transformed small-
ship aviation. Fast, agile and responsive, it
afforded a significant increase in payload
over the Westland Wasp that it replaced.
Furthermore, while its forerunner had
no sensors of its own and was essentially
limited to working in conjunction with
its parent ship or other surface units, the
Lynx carried its own surveillance radar
and electronic support measures (ESM)
equipment, giving it excellent surface
situational awareness and some level of
autonomy. The upgraded Lynx HMA8,
entering service from 1996, added the
Sea Owl passive identification device and
enjoyed the benefits of an automated
central tactical system.
CDR Phil Richardson became the
commanding officer of 815 NAS in
April 2015, and he told Combat Aircraft
why the Lynx proved so adept in the
challenging maritime environment. ‘The
key design features which have enabled
this include the unique nosewheel
castoring capability, enabling it to turn
into wind whilst still on deck; its robustundercarriage and low centre of gravity,
essential when operating in high sea
states; and its folding tail, which means
it is compact and does not take up much
room at sea where space is at a premium.
‘Its high power-to-weight ratio
and fixed main rotor head ensures
performance is impressive too. That is of
paramount importance when making an
approach to a moving deck.’
Reflecting on the departing Lynx
HMA8, he added, ‘The aircraft may still
have an analogue cockpit, it may be oily
and battle-scarred, but those who have
flown and maintained that most versatile
of helicopters for over four decades, in
operational theatres as diverse as the Gulf
and Caribbean, will no doubt mourn the
passing of this great, unique and hugely
successful all-British military helicopter.’Exit Lynx, enter the Wildcat
While the Lynx may have exited stage
left, its offspring is very much alive and
well at RNAS Yeovilton. The Wildcat HMA2
achieved initial operating capability
(IOC) in early 2015, and manufacturer
Leonardo Helicopters — formerly
AgustaWestland — delivered the last of
the 28 examples ordered for the RN in
October 2016.
By July 2017, the Wildcat Maritime Force
had formed 16 front-line flights, parented
by two squadrons. 825 NAS, which is
the RN’s lead Wildcat squadron, parents
four ships’ flights alongside its primary
responsibility to provide aircrew and
engineer training to the Wildcat Maritime
Force. 815 NAS parents the remaining 12
flights, with a focus on maritime counter-
terrorism and Type 23 frigate flights.
The Wildcat — known as the AW159
in its export guise — bears a close
resemblance to the aircraft it has replaced,
and shares some familial DNA. But in truth
this is a very different beast.
For a start, the Wildcat airframe is largely
comprised of monolithic machined
aluminum structures, which are bothThe Royal Navy retired its last Lynx HMA8 in 2017 and now the
Army Air Corps has said farewell to the Lynx AH9A. The Lynx will
be sadly missed in the UK. However, the improved sensor fit and
tactical system embodied in the Wildcat HMA2 are enabling the
Royal Navy’s small-ship aviators to change the way they think
and operate.REPORT Richard Scott
64 March 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
64-69 Wildcats C.indd 64 19/01/2018 15:21