EH-101 Merlin MH1 Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and medium-lift transport / Utility helicopter. XAV-292
The EH101, developed jointly by Agusta of Italy and GKN Westland Helicopters, combines military and civil variants in a single integrated program with an optional rear loading ramp and full ice protection system. The EH101 is now in full production in both Italy and the United Kingdom with launch orders for over 80 aircraft. The EH101 is the only new medium lift helicopter that is in full production and available in four variants. By mid-2003 the EH-101 was in service with the UK Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, the Italian Navy and Canadian Forces, and had accumulated 36,000 flying hours. By the end of 2003 ninety-two EH-101 helicopters were in use world wide. By mid-2004 the fleet had nearly 50,000 hours of flight operations. The Integrated Development Programme (IDP) under which the EH101 was developed was an Anglo-Italian collaborative program. Each nation is currently procuring variants of the baseline helicopter. Maritime patrol variants of the aircraft have been ordered by the British Royal Navy and by the Italian Marina Militare Italiana (MMI). The MMI has also ordered the utility transport and enhanced air and surface surveillance variants and the British Royal Air Force has contracted for 22 EH101 SH (support helicopter) military utility aircraft. Merlin HM MK1 (formerly Merlin EH101) is an Anti-Submarine (ASW) variant of the EH101 helicopter. It entered service in December 1998, replacing the ageing ASW Sea King (Mk6). The collaborative program began in 1979 through EH Industries - the company formed by Agusta of Italy and GKN Westland in the UK. Designed in Western Europe, it is the largest collaborative helicopter project in history and the most powerful helicopter in terms of military capability. The mission system is world-leading and the weapons system is a significant force multiplier compared with existing capability. In 1991 the United Kingdom selected IBM-Aerospace Systems Integration Corporation (ASIC) (subsequently Loral-ASIC, now Lockhee
Size: 5288px × 3512px
Location: Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton Somerset. England. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: &, 824, base, culdrose, flight, flt, hm, hover, lancaster, merlin, mk1, operational, rescue, rn, rotary, rotor, sar, search, sqn, squadron
