A Royal Navy Merlin airborne surveillance and control helicopter has arrived in Cyprus to boost the defence of UK military forces.
The Merlin Mk2 helicopter, aircrews and an engineering team from 820 Naval Air Squadron, left Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose on Saturday and arrived at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus this afternoon. With its powerful radar and mission system, the ASaC Merlin – known as Crowsnest – provides a defence against aerial threats. With a crew of three, the aircraft can fly up to a mile in height and look ‘over the horizon’ – giving advance warning of incoming drones or missiles. The Merlin will join Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron, which were transported to RAF Akrotiri by an RAF C-17 transporter on Friday to bolster air defences, specifically against the drone threat. This week the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon will deploy to the eastern Mediterranean. The ship is one of the most capable air defence warships in the world, fitted with Sea Viper missiles.
The commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, Captain James Hall, said: “We have activated one of our ASaC aircraft to deploy immediately to provide an additional layer of defence for our forces at Akrotiri. Our aircraft from Merlin Helicopter Force are held at readiness to respond at short notice to any threat to UK interests. 820 Naval Air Squadron already has experience of providing force protection from similar threats, having deployed ASaC aircraft on active operations in the Red Sea last year during the transits of the carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales during Operation Highmast. This will also compliment the defensive measures provided by the Wildcat aircraft and HMS Dragon, when she arrives in the region next week, providing a layered capability for the protection of UK forces.”
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. It is manufactured at factories in Yeovil, England, and Vergiate, Italy. Licensed assembly work has also taken place in Japan and the United States. 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. In 2000, Westland Helicopters and Agusta merged to form AgustaWestland, leading to the type’s current designation.
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. 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. 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. The HM2 has a new mission system, digital cockpit, electro-optical camera and multi-static sonar processing.
