Royal Navy Merlin HelicopterThe UK Royal Navy Merlin medium lift helicopter is a variant of the EH101 helicopter developed by AgustaWestland (formerly EH Industries). Italy and Great Britain signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1979 to develop a medium lift helicopter and Agusta and GKN Westland formed a joint venture company, EH Industries, to manage the EH101 development. Agusta and GKN Westland Helicopters merged to form AgustaWestland in February 2001. Systems integration for the Merlin helicopter was carried out by Lockheed Martin UK Ltd of Portsmouth.
The helicopter's primary roles are anti-surface ship and submarine warfare, tracking and surveillance, amphibious operations and search-and-rescue missions. It will operate from Type 22 and Type 23 Class frigates, Invincible Class aircraft carriers and various amphibious warfare ships and land bases. The first Merlin, designated HM Mk 1, entered service with the UK Royal Navy in December 1998, at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, where the first squadron of Merlins was formed in October 2001. In February 2002, the Merlin successfully completed sea trials on the HMS Ark Royal aircraft carrier. Operational flight trials are taking place on Type 23 (Duke Class) frigate, HMS Lancaster. The last of the 44 Royal Navy HMA1Merlins was completed in November 2002. The last of 22 Merlin HC3 medium support helicopters for the UK Royal Air Force was also delivered in November 2002. The first entered service in December 2000. The RAF HC3 has been deployed in Bosnia and, from April 2005, in Iraq. The EH101 naval helicopter is also in service with the Italian Navy and the Canadian armed forces and been ordered by the armed forces of Japan (14), Denmark (14) and Portugal (12). The first production helicopters for Denmark and Portugal made maiden flights in December 2003 and first deliveries are scheduled for 2004.
Four Royal Navy Merlins were deployed onboard RFA Fort Victoria replenishment vessel, stationed in the Northern Gulf as part of the UK Amphibious Task Group in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
Lockheed Martin UK has been selected to assess possible upgrades to the Merlin for the Merlin Capability Sustainment Plus programme.
In February 2005, a version of the Merlin, the US101, was chosen as the replacement helicopter for the US Marine One presidential transport fleet requirement. The helicopter was proposed by Team US101, led by Lockheed Martin.
COCKPIT
The cockpit is equipped with six high definition colour displays plus an optional pilot's mission display unit supplied by Northrop Grumman ( formerly Litton). Dual flight controls are provided for the pilot and co-pilot on all versions of the EH101 but the Merlin helicopter is capable of being flown by a single pilot. The cockpit is compatible with Generation III Night Vision Goggles. The crew of the naval anti-submarine warfare version of the helicopter also includes an observer and an acoustic surveillance systems operator.
WEAPONS
Merlin has the capacity to carry up to four homing torpedoes such as the BAE SYSTEMS Stingray torpedoes or Mark 11 depth bombs. The anti-surface version is able to carry a range of air-to-surface missiles including sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. There are optional gun positions through removable windows, the starboard cargo door and the port crew door.
SENSORS
The medium and low frequency active dipping sonar is the Flash lightweight folding acoustic sonar from Thales Underwater Systems (formerly Thomson Marconi Sonar). Flash can search to a maximum depth of 2,000ft. The helicopter is equipped with a Normalier-Garrett mission recorder and two sonobuoy and flare dispensers together with Chelton sonobuoy homers. The sonobuoys are Difar, Barra, Harp and VLA. On an anti-submarine warfare active dipping mission over a radius of operation of 50 nautical miles, there is sufficient fuel in the internal fuel tanks to provide 190 minutes on station with a 20 minute fuel reserve. On an anti-submarine warfare passive sonobouy mission, the helicopter time on station is 210 minutes at a radius of operation of 100 nautical miles, and 90 minutes at a radius of operation 200 nautical miles.
In the anti-ship surveillance and tracking role, Merlin uses its tactical surveillance and over-the-horizon targeting radar to identify the positions of hostile ships and relay the data to the allied command ship. The Electronic Support Measures system is the Kestrel (Royal Navy designation Orange Reaper) from Thales. Using the Kestrel ESM and the BAE Systems Blue Kestrel search radar, the Merlin helicopter is able to search an area of approximately 200,000kmē in a single four-hour sortie.
FLIGHT CONTROL
The helicopter is equipped with a Smiths Industries OMI SEP 2 dual redundant digital air flight control system with an Alenia Marconi Systems aircraft management computer. The suite of sensors includes: BAE SYSTEMS LINS300 ring laser gyroscope inertial reference unit, LISA-4000 strapdown attitude heading reference system, Thales 91E doppler velocity sensor, Cossor Global Positioning Sensor, two Thales AHV-16 radar altimeters and a BAE SYSTEMS low airspeed sensor and air data system.
A dual redundant aircraft management computer carries out a range of functions including navigation, cockpit display management, performance monitoring, health and usage monitoring of engines, drives, avionics, utilities and control of the 1553 data bus.
ENGINES
The Merlin is powered by three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM 322 02/8 engines, each fed by an individual fuel tank. The three tanks hold 3,222l of fuel. The helicopter is equipped with a computerised fuel management system. A Hover In Flight Refuelling (HIFR) unit is installed internally in the cabin.
Picture added on 23 June 2006
