AgustaWestland AW101
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The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between
Westland Helicopters Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961. In 2000, it merged w ...
in the United Kingdom and
Agusta Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot o ...
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 Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somer ...
, England, and
Vergiate Vergiate is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km northwest of Milan and about 15 km southwest of Varese. As of 31 December 2018 it had a population of 8,716 Vergiate bo ...
, Italy. Licensed assembly work has also taken place in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. 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 AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccanica ...
, leading to the type's current designation. The AW101 entered into service in 1999 and has since replaced several older helicopter types, such as the
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engi ...
, performing roles such as medium-sized transport,
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
,
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
, and ship-based utility operations. The
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) operates the
CH-149 Cormorant The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
variant for
air-sea rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and International Maritime Organization, IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergenc ...
. Another variant, the
Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for vario ...
, was produced to serve in the United States presidential transport fleet before the program was cancelled and the aircraft sold off to Canada for parts. Civil operators use the AW101 for passenger and VIP transportation. The type has been deployed to active combat theatres, such as in support of coalition forces during the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
and the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
.


Development


Origins

In 1977, the
UK Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by His Majesty's Government, and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. The MOD states that its principal objectives are to d ...
issued a requirement for an
anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
(ASW) helicopter to replace the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's
Westland Sea King The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
s, which were becoming inadequate in the face of advances in Soviet submarine technology.
Westland Helicopters Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961. In 2000, it merged w ...
put together a proposal, designated WG.34, for a three-engined helicopter of similar dimensions to the Sea King; the WG.34 was to feature more autonomy and a greater range than its predecessor. At the same time, the
Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
(''Marina Militare'') was also considering the replacement of its fleet of Sea Kings, which had been built by the Italian company
Agusta Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot o ...
; Westland and Agusta soon began talks regarding the joint development of a successor helicopter. Agusta and Westland finalised an agreement to work on the project together, and formed a jointly owned new company, EH Industries Limited (EHI), to pursue the development and marketing of the new helicopter to potential operators. On 12 June 1981, the UK government confirmed its participation in the project, allocated an initial budget of £20 million to develop nine pre-series examples. A major agreement, which secured funding for the majority of the EH101's development program, was signed by both the British and Italian governments in 1984. At the 1985
Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...
, Agusta showed a mock-up of a utility version of the new helicopter, leading to a more generalised design that could be customised to meet the needs of various civilian or military customers. The first prototype flew on 9 October 1987. In 1987, Canada selected the EH101 to replace their Sea Kings in the anti-submarine warfare and
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
roles. The EH101's third engine and increased range compared favorably with rival aircraft, such as the Sikorsky Seahawk. The range and de-icing capability were also seen as vital for North Atlantic operations. The fledgling EH101, of which up to 50 were on order to replace the
Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
's (CAF) Sea Kings, found itself subject to a wider political battle between the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
and
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
parties, the latter viewing the aircraft as too costly. Critics attacked the EH101 purchase as excessive and unnecessary after the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
's end in the early 1990s. Wide-ranging cost estimates were presented by both proponents and opponents of the EH101 procurement, with opponents backing life extensions of
Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3. It served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Armed Forces fr ...
and Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador helicopter fleets. The EH101 controversy was seen as a factor in the
1993 Canadian federal election The 1993 Canadian federal election was held on October 25, 1993, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Considered to be a major political realignment, it was one of the most eventful elections in Canada's hist ...
. The order was cancelled by the new Liberal government in 1993 resulting in a $470 million cancellation fee.


Into production

Several pre-production aircraft were assembled during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The first pre-production aircraft had its first flight powered by General Electric CT7-2A engines on 9 October 1987. Flight tests were suspended for six months following the crash of the second pre-production aircraft on 21 January 1993. On 6 June 1993, the first EH101 took its maiden flight with the
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 is a turboshaft engine produced by Safran Helicopter Engines. It was originally conceived and manufactured by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce plc and Turbomeca (now Safran H ...
turboshaft A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engine. Nine prototypes were built to explore military and civil applications, including a "heliliner" configuration. In February 1995, Britain formally placed its first order for a total of 22 EH101s; this was quickly followed by Italy's order for 16 EH101s in October 1995. The EH101 order was not without controversy, the RAF had declared its preference for an all- Chinook fleet; also,
Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
allegedly offered cheaper terms for the Chinook. RAF deliveries began in 1997; RN deliveries started the following year. Following the merger of Westland and Agusta to form AgustaWestland in 2000, there was no need for the separate EHI entity; the EH101 was formally re-branded as the AW101 in 2007. By April 2009, more than 180 AW101s had been sold worldwide; the combined operational fleet had also accumulated a total of 170,000 flying hours.


Further developments

In November 2007, Algeria signed a contract for 6 AW101 helicopters. In August 2012, it was reported that
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
had signed an agreement with AgustaWestland for the provision of up to 80 helicopters, 42 of which were to be AW101s. Under the terms of this arrangement, early aircraft were to be manufactured by AgustaWestland, while Algeria was to commence the assembly of some AW101s later on. By September 2013, AgustaWestland was in the process of acquiring civil certification for the AW101, prospective customers include
offshore oil platform An oil platform (or oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, and similar terms) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platfor ...
operators and VIP clients.Perry, Dominic
"AgustaWestland pursues new AW101 sales avenues"
. ''
Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...
'', 17 September 2013. Accessed: 17 September 2013.
As of February 2014, AgustaWestland was considering adapting the AW101 as a heavyweight
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
, it is proposed that in this configuration an AW101 could be optionally manned. On 7 June 2010, it was announced that Boeing had acquired a manufacturing license and the rights from AgustaWestland for US production of a localised AW101 variant, designated as the Boeing 101. In October 2012, the AW101 was submitted in a
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
competition to replace the
HH-60 Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic system ...
; however, the bid was dropped three months later.


Design


Overview

The AW101 Merlin follows a conventional design layout, but makes use of advanced technologies, such as the design of the
rotor Rotor may refer to: Science and technology Engineering *Rotor (electric), the non-stationary part of an alternator or electric motor, operating with a stationary element so called the stator * Helicopter rotor, the rotary wing(s) of a rotorcraft ...
blades, avionics systems, and extensive use of composite materials. The fuselage structure is
modular Broadly speaking, modularity is the degree to which a system's components may be separated and recombined, often with the benefit of flexibility and variety in use. The concept of modularity is used primarily to reduce complexity by breaking a sy ...
and comprises an
aluminium–lithium alloy Aluminium–lithium alloys (Al–Li alloys) are a set of alloys of aluminium and lithium, often also including copper and zirconium. Since lithium is the least dense elemental metal, these alloys are significantly less dense than aluminium. Commerc ...
, designed to be both light and damage-resistant. The AW101 is designed for operating in extreme weather conditions; it is fitted with a
de-icing Deicing is the process of removing snow, ice or frost from a surface. Anti-icing is the application of chemicals that not only deice but also remain on a surface and continue to delay the reformation of ice for a certain period of time, or preve ...
system and rated to operate in temperatures ranging between −45 and +50 °C.Crawford 2003, p. 27. The aircraft's control systems allow the AW101 to maintain a stable hover in
crosswind A crosswind is any wind that has a perpendicular component to the line or direction of travel. This affects the aerodynamics of many forms of transport. Moving non-parallel to the wind's direction creates a crosswind component on the object and th ...
s. An
active vibration control Active vibration control is the active application of force in an equal and opposite fashion to the forces imposed by external vibration. With this application, a precision industrial process can be maintained on a platform essentially vibration- ...
system, known as the ''active control of structural response system'', reduces airframe vibration by up to 80%, increasing crew comfort and minimising buildup of stress on the airframe. The cockpit is fitted with armoured seats for the crew, and can withstand an impact velocity of over 10 m/s. Dual flight controls are provided, though the AW101 can be flown by a single person. The pilots' instrument displays include six full-colour high-definition screens and an optional mission display; a digital map or
forward looking infrared Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
(FLIR) display can also be installed.


Powerplant

The AW101 is powered by three
turboshaft A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engines. Initially the
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 is a turboshaft engine produced by Safran Helicopter Engines. It was originally conceived and manufactured by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce plc and Turbomeca (now Safran H ...
producing and the
General Electric CT7 A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...
producing were the two available engine types, but by 2020 new aircraft were only being sold with the CT7-8E. The RTM322 powerplant was specifically developed for the AW101; it was subsequently adopted on the AgustaWestland WAH-64 Apache and the
NHIndustries NH90 The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...
helicopters. According to Rolls-Royce, about 80% of AW101s use the RTM322"RTM322 turboshaft"
Rolls-Royce plc Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
The engines power an diameter five-bladed main rotor. The rotor blades are constructed from carbon/glass with
nomex Nomex is a flame-resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967. Properties Nomex and related aramid polymers are related to nylon, but have aromatic backbones, and hence are more rigid and mo ...
honeycomb and rohacell foam, edged with
titanium alloy Titanium alloys are alloys that contain a mixture of titanium and other chemical elements. Such alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness (even at extreme temperatures). They are light in weight, have extraordinary corrosion resista ...
in a sandwich construction. The shaping of the main rotor blades is derived from the
BERP rotor blade The BERP rotor blade design was developed under the ''British Experimental Rotor Programme''. The initial BERP rotor blades were developed in the late 1970s to mid-1980s as a joint venture programme between Westland Helicopters and the Royal Airc ...
s first used on the
Westland Lynx The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...
. This blade design improves aerodynamic efficiency at the blade tip and reduces the
acoustic signature The term acoustic signature is used to describe a combination of acoustic emissions of sound emitters, such as those of ships and submarines. In addition, aircraft, machinery, and living animals can be described as having their own characteristic ...
. Improved BERP IV rotors have since been developed; when installed this increases the AW101's maximum takeoff weight. Each engine is supplied by a separate
fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...
using dual booster pumps. Optional fourth and fifth tanks can be added to act as a reservoir supply, topping up the main tanks during flight, increasing
range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...
or endurance.Jackson 2003, p. 236. The AW101 can also be fitted with a probe for
aerial refuelling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...
.
Self-sealing fuel tank A self-sealing fuel tank is a type of fuel tank, typically used in aircraft fuel tanks or fuel bladders, that prevents them from leaking fuel and igniting after being damaged. Typical self-sealing tanks have multiple layers of rubber and reinforc ...
s are an optional item to be selected by the customer.AgustaWestland 2008, p. 4. An inlet particle separator system can be installed, protecting the engine when operating in sandy environments.AgustaWestland 2008, p. 12.


Armament and defensive systems

Most variants of the AW101 are equipped with self-defence systems, such as
chaff Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...
and
flare A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...
dispensers, directed
infrared countermeasures An infrared countermeasure (IRCM) is a device designed to protect aircraft from infrared homing ("heat seeking") missiles by confusing the missiles' infrared guidance system so that they miss their target (electronic countermeasure). Heat-see ...
(infrared jammers), ESM (electronic support measures in the form of RF heads), and a laser detection and warning system. British Merlins have been outfitted with protective armour against small-arms fire. A side-mounted
forward looking infrared Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
(FLIR) imaging sensor has been fitted to some variants. Two
hardpoint A hardpoint is an attachment location on a structural frame designed to transfer force and carry an external or internal load. The term is usually used to refer to the mounting points (more formally known as a weapon station or station) on the ...
s are present in the underside of the airframe on which the HM1 model can carry four
Sting Ray torpedo The Sting Ray is a British acoustic homing lightweight torpedo (LWT) manufactured by GEC-Marconi, who were later bought out by BAE Systems. It entered service in 1983. Design and development In the 1950s the Royal Navy was equipped with Br ...
es or Mk 11 Mod 3
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s. Some customers have chosen to deploy the
Marte Marte may refer to: *Marte, Nigeria, a Local Government Area in Borno State *Marte (surname), including a list of people with the name * C.D. Marte, a Mexican football club *C.D. Atlético Marte, a Salvadoran football club * ST ''Marte'', a tug in ...
anti-ship missile on the AW101; as of 2011, the Royal Navy is considering equipping their Merlin fleet with an anti-surface missile. The Mk1, Mk3 and Mk3A variants can mount
general purpose machine gun A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for ...
s in up to five locations in the main cabin, aimed out of both door and window apertures. AgustaWestland has examined the integration of
rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
s and additional ground-attack weapons.


Avionics

Westland and IBM formed a consortium in 1991 to perform the helicopter's complex systems integration. The AW101 features a network of helicopter management and mission systems designed to reduce pilot workload and enable the helicopter to undertake a wide variety of missions. A digital automatic flight control system (AFCS) is employed by the AW101. The AFCS allows the operation of a four-axis ( pitch, roll, yaw and
collective A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an ...
)
autopilot An autopilot is a system used to control the path of an aircraft, marine craft or spacecraft without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator' ...
and the automatic stabilisation system, and is linked in with the aircraft's flight management systems. The AFCS, manufactured by
Smiths Aerospace GE Aviation Systems (formerly Smiths Aerospace) is an American aerospace engineering, aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are ...
, is a dual-duplex system using two flight computers to provide redundancy and
fault-tolerance Fault tolerance is the property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of one or more faults within some of its components. If its operating quality decreases at all, the decrease is proportional to the ...
. The AW101's navigation system includes a GPS receiver and
inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (dire ...
, VHF omnidirectional radio range (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS),
TACAN A tactical air navigation system, commonly referred to by the acronym TACAN, is a navigation system used by military aircraft. It provides the user with bearing and distance (slant-range or hypotenuse) to a ground or ship-borne station. It is a mor ...
, and automatic direction finding. The Mk1 and Mk3 are equipped with a Doppler velocity system (DVS) which provides relative ground velocities; the DVS is also linked into the AFCS as part of the autostabilisation system. For safety, the aircraft is equipped with obstacle and terrain avoidance warning systems, traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), and both
voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...
and
flight data recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has b ...
s. The AW101 is equipped with the Blue Kestrel search and detection radar which is capable of 360 degree scanning and can detect small targets as far as 25
nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...
s. As part of the Royal Navy's Merlin HM2 upgrade program, Lockheed Martin implemented a series of improvements to the radar, notably allowing it to track 40 times the number of targets previously capable. Danish EH101s are fitted with the RDR-1600 search and
weather radar Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly puls ...
. Mk 2 Royal Navy Merlins are equipped with the AQS901 anti-submarine system for processing sonographic data from
sonobuoy A sonobuoy (a portmanteau of sonar and buoy) is a relatively small buoy – typically diameter and long – expendable sonar system that is dropped/ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic resea ...
s to detect and target submerged submarines. The AQS901 was derived from the system on the earlier
Hawker Siddeley Nimrod The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired maritime patrol aircraft developed and operated by the United Kingdom. It was an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first operational jet airliner. It was originally designed ...
maritime patrol aircraft.


Crew and cargo

The AW101 is typically operated by a crew of three: a pilot, an observer, and a crewman/operator. The pilot is able to fly for the majority of a mission in a hands-off mode, enabled by the sophisticated autopilot. All crew members have individual access to management computers and tactical information.Evans 2004, p. 23. The fuselage has a volume of and the cargo compartment is in length, wide and high. The military version of the AW101 can accommodate up to 24 seated or 45 standing combat troops and their equipment. Alternative loads include a medical team and 16 stretchers, and cargo pallets. The ramp, , can take a load, allowing it to carry vehicles such as
Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
s. The ramp and cabin floor are fitted with flush tie-down points. A cargo hook under the fuselage can carry external loads of via the use of a semi-automatic cargo release unit (SACRU). A rescue hoist and a hover trim controller are fitted at the cargo door. An optional cargo winch can be installed near to the rear ramp.


Operational history


Royal Navy

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. All aircraft were delivered by the end of 2002, and are operated by 3
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
squadrons:
814 NAS 814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland AW101, AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is based at R ...
, 820 NAS, 824 NAS and 829 NAS (now disbanded and merged with 814 NAS), all based at
RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...
in Cornwall. 700 NAS was the Merlin
Operational Evaluation Unit An Operational Evaluation Unit is a type of "reserve" squadron of the Royal Air Force. OEU squadrons are tasked with evaluating an aircraft's weapons, systems and performance. This is to either assist in bringing the aircraft to an operational ca ...
from 2000 to 2008. In March 2004, Navy Merlins were temporarily grounded following an incident at RNAS Culdrose in which a tail rotor failed due to a manufacturing defect. An improved tail rotor was designed and adopted on most AW101s which significantly reduced associated maintenance. In 1995, it was announced that the Navy's
Westland Lynx The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led t ...
helicopters would be retired in favour of an all-Merlin fleet. However, the subsequent Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 stated that the future naval helicopters would be the Merlin and the Wildcat, a derivative of the Lynx. 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 The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
. 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 carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s,
amphibious assault ship An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...
s,
Type 23 frigate The Type 23 frigate or Duke class is a class of frigates built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The ships are named after British Dukes, thus leading to the class being commonly known as the Duke class. The first Type 23, , was commission ...
s,
Type 45 destroyer The Type 45 destroyer, also known as the D or ''Daring'' class, is a Ship class, class of six guided-missile destroyers built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy in the early 21st century. The class is primarily designed for Anti-aircraft warfa ...
and several
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
(RFA) vessels including the . 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. The HM2 achieved IOC on 30 June 2014 after flying 480 hours from ''Illustrious'' during Exercise Deep Blue earlier that month. It was also reported that some of the eight airframes not scheduled to be upgraded for financial reasons may be updated.Jane's Defence Weekly, 8 July 2009. p. 14. Five HM2s are in maintenance at a time, leaving 25 available, of which 14 were theoretically to be assigned to the . However, in practice with just 30 Merlin HM2s in service, it may be impossible to deploy 14 aircraft on a single operational carrier on a full time basis. During the 2021 carrier strike group deployment to the Pacific, for instance, 7 Merlins were embarked with the task group. In addition to its ASW role, the HM2 will be able to carry an airborne early warning (AEW) pod known as the Crowsnest, replacing the Sea King ASaC7. In September 2011,
Thales UK Thales Group () is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures electrical systems as well as devices and equipment for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security sectors. The company is headquartered in Paris' ...
proposed re-using Sea King ASaC7 equipment, such as the Searchwater 2000, on the Merlin; Lockheed Martin has proposed developing a new multi-functional sensor for both the AW101 and other aircraft. Lockheed originally planned to use a derivative of the F-35's APG-81 radar; however, a rival Elta system and the Thales system both commenced flight trials in 2014. However, revised plans will see Crowsnest achieve initial operating capability in September 2021 and full operating capability in May 2023. On 22 May 2015, the MOD and prime contractor Lockheed Martin UK selected Thales to provide the radar and mission system for the Crowsnest. On 15 December 2009, plans were announced to transfer RAF Merlin HC3s and HC3As to the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force to replace retiring Sea King HC4 helicopters. The Sea King was set to retire in 2016, leaving the Navy operating a combination of the
Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
and Merlin.
846 NAS 846 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Naval Air Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter to provide troop transport and load lifting support to 3 ...
reformed with ex-RAF Merlin HC3s on 30 September 2014; 845 NAS followed on 9 July 2015. On 25 May 2018, the first of 25 converted Royal Marines Commando Merlin Mk4/4A were delivered to Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton. In July 2020, the Merlin HM2 and HC4/4A helicopters were planned to be in service until 2029 and 2030, respectively. On 11 June 2021, it was confirmed that their Out of Service Date (OSD) had been moved to 2040.


Royal Air Force

The RAF ordered 22 Merlin HC3 for transport missions, the first of which entered service in January 2001 with No. 28 Squadron RAF based at
RAF Benson Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, use ...
. The type is equipped with extended-range fuel tanks and is capable of air-to-air refuelling. The Merlin is frequently utilised for troop transport duties and for the transport of bulky objects, either internally or underslung, including vehicles and artillery. The Merlin Depth Maintenance Facility at RNAS Culdrose performed most tasks upon the Merlin HC3. The Merlin's first operational deployment was to the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
region in 2003. RAF Merlins were first deployed to Iraq as part of
Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
in 2004, supporting coalition forces and were operated as the main medevac asset in southern Iraq; both Flight Lieutenant Kev Harris and Flight Lieutenant Michelle Goodman were awarded the DFC during this period. Merlins routinely operated around
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
until Britain's withdrawal in June 2009. In 2002, Westland made an unsuccessful unsolicited offer to the
British Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government, department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Government, and is the headquarters of ...
, proposing an enhanced Merlin variant intended to satisfy the demand for additional lift capacity. An alternative measure was the acquisition of six AW101s from Denmark in 2007; designated ''Merlin HC3A'', these were assigned to the RAF, allowing Merlins to be deployed in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The HC3A is used for training and not for frontline operations due to various configuration differences. In December 2007, a second Merlin squadron, No. 78 Squadron was formed at RAF Benson. In 2009, five Merlin Mk3s were operating in Afghanistan, transporting troops and supplies. The deployment to Afghanistan was criticised as the aircraft reportedly lacked protective
Kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
armour. By July 2010, the Merlin fleet was fully fitted with ballistic armour. The deployment of Merlins to Afghanistan allowed the detachment of Sea Kings to be withdrawn from the region in October 2011. As part of the UK drawdown in Afghanistan, Merlins were withdrawn from theatre in June 2013. In 2012, the RAF's Merlin HC3/3A fleet began to be transferred to the Royal Navy for use by the Commando Helicopter Force. Royal Navy personnel worked alongside RAF crew at Benson to build experience during the transition. The £454m Merlin Life Sustainment Programme resulted in 25 HC3/3A airframes being fitted with the cockpit electronics of the HM2, folding tails and main rotor heads, strengthened landing gear, deck lashing mounting points, obsolescence updates, fast-roping points and a common emergency egress system. The first HC4 is to begin flight trials in September 2017, with an IOC in mid-2018; an interim folding main rotor head will be fitted to some HC3 for shipborne operations prior to the HC4 upgrade. Command of the UK Merlin HC3/3A fleet was formally transferred from the RAF to the Royal Navy during a ceremony at RAF Benson on 30 September 2014. As part of the same ceremony, the RAF's 78 Sqn was disbanded and the Royal Navy's 846 Naval Air Squadron stood-up with the Merlin. The RAF's 28(AC) continued to operate as part of the Commando Helicopter Force until July 2015, when 28(AC) Sqn stood down and 845 Naval Air Squadron stood-up. 846 NAS relocated from RAF Benson to RNAS Yeovilton in March 2015, with 845 NAS following in June 2016.


Italian Navy

In 1997, the Italian government ordered 16 AW101 helicopters for the
Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
, with options for four more. These AW101 included eight of the anti-surface/submarine (ASuW/ASW) version, four airborne early warning (AEW), four amphibious support helicopters (ASH). The government then exercised its option for four additional ASH helicopters, which were delivered by 2006. The same year the government ordered two more AW101 ASH helicopters in a slightly modified version. The first Italian Navy production helicopter (''MM81480'') flew on 4 October 1999 and was officially presented to the press on 6 December 1999. Italy accepted delivery of the 21st AW101, configured for anti-submarine warfare, on 4 August 2009. In total 22 AW101 helicopters have been delivered to the Italian Navy. Italian AW101s have operated from a variety of ships and have seen service overseas; in 2009 the Italian Navy used its AW101 fleet as executive transports for visiting heads of state and officials during the 35th G8 summit. In 2010, the Italian Navy deployed three AW101s to Afghanistan, where they were flown in both the transport and utility roles. In 2011, it was reported that the Italian contingent in Afghanistan, consisting of AW101s, had been providing coverage of a wide area of the country.


Italian Air Force

In June 2011 the AW101 was chosen by the
Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...
to replace its ageing Sea King HH-3F helicopters in the
combat search and rescue Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
role. A total of 15 helicopters in the HH-101A variant were ordered and delivered between 2016 and 2020.


Royal Canadian Air Force

In 1997, in light of the declining condition of its helicopter fleet, Canada launched the Canadian Search and Rescue Helicopter competition. It was won by the EH101, which was designated ''CH-149 Cormorant'' in Canadian service.Plamondon 2009, pp. 151–152. In 2004, the EH101 was entered into a Canadian competition to replace the shipboard Sea King fleet, but the
Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a twin-engine, multi-role shipboard helicopter developed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation for the Canadian Armed Forces. A military variant of the Sikorsky S-92, the CH-148 is designed for shipboard operations ...
was selected. In 2013, following difficulties with the CH-148 procurement, the
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) was reported to be seriously considering cancelling the contract with Sikorsky and was investigating the possibility of procuring the AW101 instead. However, an initial batch of six Cyclones was delivered to the RCAF in June 2015.


Royal Danish Air Force

In 2001, the
Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...
(RDAF) announced the purchase of eight EH101s for SAR duties and six tactical troop transports for 722 Squadron. The last of the 14 AW101s was delivered in March 2007 and the first SAR AW101s became operational out of
Karup Airport Midtjyllands Airport ( da, Midtjyllands Lufthavn) , formerly known as Karup Airport, is an airport in Denmark. The airport is situated 3 km west of the town of Karup and carries passengers primarily from nine municipalities in mid- and west ...
in April 2007. In 2007, the six troop transport AW101s were transferred to the British MOD; in exchange, the British government ordered six new-build AW101s as replacements for the RDAF. Danish AW101s have a higher gross weight capacity of 15,600 kg and were, as delivered, coated in a paint designed to reduce the aircraft's
infrared signature Infrared signature, as used by defense scientists and the military, is the appearance of objects to infrared sensors. An infrared signature depends on many factors, including the shape and size of the object, temperature, and emissivity, reflection ...
. In the SAR role, RDAF AW101s have a crew of six and were initially painted yellow to distinguish themselves from AW101 allocated to military duties, but were later painted green, and all 14 AW101s are used for SAR and troop transport.EH-101 Merlin
" ''
Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...
''. Accessed: 19 December 2013.
On 28 January 2008, the drive shaft of a Danish AW101 broke, leading to an emergency landing at Billund Airport. Following the incident, the Danish fleet was grounded as a precaution and the AW101's future was publicly debated. In the first six months of 2008, the RDAF reported an operational availability of roughly 50%, well below the target of 80%, partly due to an inadequate maintenance organisation and staff shortages. In January 2011, the Danish Ministry of Defence reportedly could not afford the retrofitting of the AW101 fleet for Afghanistan operations, against earlier reports of a deployment in 2012. In February 2013, Aviation Week reported that earlier reliability problems had been resolved and that a full upgrade package would be applied to Danish AW101s; these included the addition of
electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
pods and a new electro-optical system, in advance of a deployment in Afghanistan in 2014. In September 2013, Danish AW101s were to receive L-3
Wescam L3Harris Wescam, stylized as L3Harris WESCAM, is a Canadian company specializing in the production of gyroscope, gyro-stabilized, Image sensor, EO-Thermography, IR imaging systems. Wescam Inc. is a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies. The name ...
MX-15 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors; SAR aircraft already carry the
FLIR Systems Teledyne FLIR LLC (an acronym for "forward-looking infrared"), a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies, specializes in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras and sensors. Its main customers are governments and in 2020, approximately ...
Star Safire II EO/IR sensor.


Royal Norwegian Air Force

On 25 October 2007, a project started that had the intent to replace all
Westland Sea King The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
search and rescue helicopters with new rescue helicopters by 2020. On 19 December 2013, a contract was signed between AgustaWestland and the government, for the purchase of 16 AW101 helicopters. The agreement came about after fierce competition between different manufacturers to satisfy the Norwegian requirements. Participants were
AgustaWestland AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccanica ...
,
Eurocopter Airbus Helicopters SAS (formerly Eurocopter Group) is the helicopter manufacturing division of Airbus. It is the largest in the industry in terms of revenues and turbine helicopter deliveries. Its head office is located at Marseille Provence Ai ...
,
NHIndustries NHIndustries (NHI) is a helicopter manufacturing company specifically established to be NATO Helicopter Management Agency's prime contractor for the design and development, industrialisation, production and logistic support of the NHIndustries NH ...
,
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pr ...
and Boeing. The government considered that AgustaWestland AW101 met the requirements and specifications in the best possible way. On 12 June 2017,
Per-Willy Amundsen Per-Willy Trudvang Amundsen (born 21 January 1971) is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party who served as Minister of Justice from December 2016 to January 2018. He previously served as state secretary in the Ministry of Local Government ...
,
Minister of Justice and Public Security In Norway, the Minister of Justice and Public Security is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police and a member of Government of Norway. The current Justice Minister is Emilie Enger Mehl. Until 1 January 2012 the post w ...
, announced the opening of Leonardo's AW101 Norway Training Centre at
Stavanger Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
Sola Air Station Sola Air Station ( no, Sola flystasjon) is a base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It is located in Sola municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Rescue Helicopter Service is stationed at Sola along with Helicopter Squadron 330. Also located ...
. The training centre includes an AW101 Full Flight Simulator (FFS), jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE to Level D, which is a CAE Series 3000 device, along with an AW101 SAR console training system linked to the FFS to provide rear crew training. The first training course at the centre started prior to delivery of the first rotorcraft. The training center will be used by both Norwegian and foreign AW101 customers. The first AW101 was delivered in November 2017. The Norwegian AW101s officially started operating in the rescue role on 1 September 2020. The Sea Kings will be phased out gradually until the middle of 2023, after 47 years of service. The AW101 is named ''SAR Queen'' in Norwegian service.


Portuguese Air Force

The
Portuguese Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...
had purchased 12 Merlins under a €446 million contract, the first of which was delivered on 22 December 2004. The type has been used to conduct transport, search and rescue, and maritime surveillance missions, progressively replacing the
Aérospatiale Puma Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...
previously tasked with these missions. The main role of Portuguese AW101s is to perform search and rescue missions within Portugal's maritime zone. They are operated by
751 Squadron The 751 Squadron "Pumas" (''Esquadra 751'') is a helicopter squadron of the Portuguese Air Force. It is part of ''Grupo Operacional'' 61 and it is located in Air Force Base No. 6 ( pt, Base Aérea no. 6, BA6), Montijo, south of Lisbon. It opera ...
and are kept on constant alert at three bases: Montijo near
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
,
Lajes Field Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base (; pt, Base Aérea das Lajes), officially designated Air Base No. 4 (''Base Aérea Nº 4'', BA4) , is a multi-use airfield near Lajes and northeast of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portug ...
on the
Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
, and
Porto Santo Island Porto Santo Island () is a Portuguese island northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe and Africa. The muni ...
.


Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

The
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
(JMSDF) ordered 14 aircraft in 2003 to use in both the airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) and transport roles. The AW101 was modified by
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...
, and the
Japan Defense Agency The is an Ministry of Japan, executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is ...
designated the model MCH-101. Special features include the automated folding of the rotor and tail. For the mine-hunting role, the MCH-101 has been outfitted with
Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...
's AQS-24A airborne mine-hunting system and AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) for a complete surface-to-bottom mine detection capability, as well as Mk-104 acoustic mine sweeping gear. In 2002, AgustaWestland, Kawasaki and
Marubeni (, OSE: 8002, NSE: 8002) is a ''sōgō shōsha'' (general trading company) headquartered in Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest ''sogo shosha'' and has leading market shares in cereal and paper pulp trading as well as a st ...
entered a general agreement for cooperation; Kawasaki began the assembly of both the CH-101 and the MCH-101 in 2003. Kawasaki also began
licensed production Licensed production is the production under license of technology developed elsewhere. The licensee provides the licensor of a specific product with legal production rights, technical information, process technology, and any other proprietary compon ...
of the RTM322 engines in 2005. In a separate agreement between Marubeni and AgustaWestland, a supply depot was established in Japan to support the MCH-101 and CH-101 fleets. The first MCH-101 was delivered to the JMSDF on 3 March 2006. The MCH-101 will replace the MH-53E (S-80-M-1) in the AMCM role. The CH-101 will operate in the transport/support role for Antarctic expeditions, replacing the Sikorsky S-61A, and will be working in coordination with the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...
. After a whistle-blower alleged that the MSDF's preference had been improperly changed an investigation was launched. On 16 December 2016 the
Japanese Ministry of Defense The is an executive department of the Government of Japan responsible for preserving the peace and independence of Japan, and maintaining the country’s national security and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The ministry is headed by the ...
(the Defense Agency having been upgraded to a ministry in 2007) stated that it had not confirmed lobbying efforts but the ministry admonished Tomohisa Takei, the JMSDF chief of staff, for mentioning the MCH-101 by name during the procurement process to his subordinates. This had come after MSDF officials had reported that the Mitsubishi-built SH helicopters may be best.


VIP and other usage

AgustaWestland developed a specialised luxury variant, the AW101 VVIP (Very Very Important Person, i.e. a head of state), aimed at business and
VIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples inc ...
customers. As of April 2009, 15% of all AW101s sold were for VIP purposes. By September 2013, customers operating the VIP variant included
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
. The AW101 was being acquired by the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
under the
VXX VXX, officially the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program, is a procurement program to replace aging Marine One helicopters that transport the President of the United States. The current VH-3 helicopters have aging airframes, having e ...
program as a replacement for the Presidential
Marine One Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president of the United States. It usually denotes a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One ( HMX-1) "Nighthawks", consisting of either the larg ...
helicopters. Designated ''
VH-71 Kestrel The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for vario ...
'', the variant was heavily customised and equipped with various self-defense systems. However the programme encountered significant cost overruns and political opposition, which led to the procurement being scrapped in June 2009."US Navy Terminates VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Contract".
''Flight International'', 2 June 2009.
After the cancellation, the delivered helicopters were sold to Canada for $164 million, where they were used as source of spare parts for its fleet of Agusta Westland CH-149 Cormorant search-and-rescue helicopters. Separately, the Marine Corps had also conducted studies into the adoption of the EH101 as a fallback option to the
Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...
tiltrotor A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a trans ...
during the 1990s. In April 2009, India ordered 12 AW101 to serve as executive transport helicopters for the Indian President and Prime Minister. The selection followed field trial assessments between the AW101 and the
Sikorsky S-92 The Sikorsky S-92 is an American twin-engine medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1 ...
held in 2008. However, the procurement was put on hold and subsequently cancelled due to the 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal, in which Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland's parent company, were accused of using bribery to win the contract. The three helicopters delivered as part of the contract may be returned to the manufacturer as part of the arbitration process.


Variants

;Pre-production * ''PP1'' – Westland-built basic air vehicle prototype, first flown 9 October 1987.Lake 2007, p. 122. * ''PP2'' – Agusta-built Italian basic air vehicle prototype first flown on 26 November 1987 and used for deck trials but was destroyed on 21 January 1993 following a rotor brake malfunction. * ''PP3'' – Westland-built and the first civil configured ''Heliliner'', used for engine vibration tests and icing trials in Canada. * ''PP4'' – Westland-built British naval prototype, lost in an accident on 7 April 1995 after a drive train control rod failure.Lake 2007, pp. 122–123. * ''PP5'' – Westland-built Merlin development aircraft eventually equipped with Merlin avionics.Lake 2007, p. 123. * ''PP6'' – Agusta-built development aircraft for Italian Navy variant first flown 26 April 1989. * ''PP7'' – Agusta-built military utility aircraft with rear-loading ramp. * ''PP8'' – Westland-built civil prototype. * ''PP9'' – Agusta-built military utility prototype with rear-loading ramp. ;Model 110 : Italian Navy ASW/ASuW variant, eight built. Powered by T-700-GE-T6A1 engines. Fitted with Eliradar APS-784 radar and Honeywell
HELRAS HELRAS or the Helicopter Long Range Active Sonar is a naval helicopter undersea sensor, a dipping sonar (a form of towed array sonar), deployed by helicopters of many naval air forces around the world to detect submarines; it is a form of geop ...
dipping sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on or ...
. Armed with torpedoes or
Marte Marte may refer to: *Marte, Nigeria, a Local Government Area in Borno State *Marte (surname), including a list of people with the name * C.D. Marte, a Mexican football club *C.D. Atlético Marte, a Salvadoran football club * ST ''Marte'', a tug in ...
anti-ship missiles. ;Model 111 : Royal Navy ASW/ASuW variant, designated Merlin HM1 by customer. Powered by RTM322 engines and fitted with Blue Kestrel radar, Thomson Marconi FLASH dipping sonar and Orange Reaper ESM. 44 built.Lake 2007, p. 124. ;Model 112 : Italian Navy early warning variant with same airframe as Model 110 but with Eliradar HEW-784 radar in large underfuselage radome. Four built.Lake 2007, p. 125. ;Series 200 : Proposed military utility version with no rear-loading ramp. ;Series 300 Heliliner : Proposed civil transport with no ramp.Lake 2007, pp. 125–126. In 2000,
British International Helicopters British International Helicopter Services (BIH), owned by Bristow Group, is a British-owned helicopter operator. It operates a fleet of ten helicopters covering search and rescue, offshore, defence, charter and flying training activities from i ...
conducted service trials using ''PP8''; these did not lead to a commercial service. ;Series 310 : Proposed version of Heliliner with full airline avionics for operation from oil platforms. No production.Lake 2007, p. 126. ;Model 410 : Italian Navy transport variant with folding rotors and tail boom. Four built. ;Model 411 : Royal Air Force transport variant, designated Merlin HC3 by customer, 22 built.Lake 2007, pp. 126–127. ;Model 413 : Italian Navy special forces and amphibious assault transport with more advanced avionics.Lake 2007, p. 128. ;Model 500 : Proposed civil utility variant with rear-ramp. ;Model 510 : Civil utility variant with rear ramp, two built. One used for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Agency and one used to support US101 bid. ;Model 511 : Canadian military search and rescue variant, designated
CH-149 Cormorant The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
by customer.Lake 2007, pp. 128–129. ;Model 512 : Merlin Joint Supporter for Royal Danish Air Force. Eight acquired for search and rescue (''512 SAR'') and six for tactical troop transport (''512 TTT''). The six transports were sold to RAF (as Merlin HC3As) and replaced by six new-build Merlins.Lake 2007, pp. 129–131. ;Model 514 : Portuguese Air Force search and rescue variant, six built. ;Model 515 : Portuguese Air Force fisheries protection variant, two built. ;Model 516 : Portuguese Air Force combat search and rescue variant, four built. ;Model 518 : Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force mine countermeasures and transport variant, two built. ;Model 519 :Presidential Transport variant for the United States Marine Corps as the
VH-71 Kestrel The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for vario ...
, four test vehicles and five pilot production aircraft built. ;Model 610 : Algerian Naval variant. 6 delivered. ;Model 611 : Italian Air Force Combat Search and Rescue variant, powered by CT7-8E engines. 15 on order. ;Model 612 : Norwegian search and rescue variant, operated by the Air Force. 16 ordered with option for 6 more. ;Model 640 : Saudi Arabian
VVIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...
variant, operated by the Air Force. 2 delivered. ;Model 641 : Indian
VVIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...
variant. (See 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal). Latterly delivered to Nigerian and Azerbaijani Air Forces. ;Model 642 : Algerian
VVIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...
variant, 2 delivered. ;Model 643 : Turkmenistani
VVIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...
variant, operated by the Air Force. 2 delivered. . ;Merlin HM1 : Royal Navy designation for the Model 111. ;Merlin HM2 : Avionics retrofit of 30 HM1s for the Royal Navy. ;Merlin HC3 : Royal Air Force designation for the Model 411. ;Merlin HC3A : Royal Air Force designation for six former Royal Danish Air Force Model 512s modified to UK standards. ;Merlin HC3i : Royal Navy will fit seven HC3 with folding rotor heads as an interim (3i) measure until the full HC4 upgrade is available. ;Merlin HC4/4A : The conversion of 25 RAF HC3/3A (19 HC3 and 6 HC3A) for RN use in hand with the first flight taking place in November 2016. HM2 cockpit, folding tail/blades and other adaptations for naval use. ;CH-148 Petrel : Ship-based anti-submarine helicopter for Canada. 35 originally ordered by the
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
, reduced to 28 and cancelled in 1993. ;CH-149 Chimo : Search and rescue helicopter for Canada. 15 ordered by the Canadian forces, but later cancelled. ;
CH-149 Cormorant The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
:Search and rescue helicopter for Canada, 15 ordered and delivered. ;
Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel The Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel was a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly the EH101) that was being manufactured to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One U.S. Presidential transport fleet. Originally marketed for vario ...
:Cancelled
USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
variant that was intended to serve as the US Presidential helicopter. ;SH-101A :Italian Navy designation for the MP variant. ;EH-101A :Italian Navy designation for the AEW variant. ;MH-101A :Italian Navy designation for the Amphibious Support Helicopter (ASH) variant. ;HH-101A :Italian Air Force designation for the CSAR variant. ;
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...
MCH-101 :Japan Defense Agency designation of Model 518


Operators


Government

; *
Algerian Air Force The Algerian Air Force (AAF) ( ar, القُوَّاتُ الجَوِّيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, links=, lit=, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyyah al-Ǧazāʾiriyyah, french: Forces aériennes algériennes, links=, lit=, translit ...
*
Algerian Navy , image = Algerian Naval badge.svg , image_size = 220px , caption = Algerian Naval badge , dates = 1516–18271963–present , country ...
; *
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(see
CH-149 Cormorant The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada. Developed as a joint venture between Westland Aircraft in the UK and Agusta i ...
) ; *
Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force ( da, Flyvevåbnet, lit=The Flying weapon) (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of The Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Defence. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was ...
; *
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The ...
; *
Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...
*
Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
; *
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
- 10Defence of Japan 2022 (Annual White Paper). p.53.
Japan Ministry of Defence
*
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department The serves as the prefectural police department of Tokyo Metropolis. Founded in 1874, it is headed by a Superintendent-General, who is appointed by the National Public Safety Commission, and approved by the Prime Minister. The Tokyo Metro ...
; *
Nigerian Air Force The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese Che ...
; *
Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
; * Polish Navy (4 on order) ; *
Portuguese Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...
; *
Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force ( ar, ‎الْقُوَّاتُ الْجَوِّيَّةُ الْمَلَكِيَّةْ ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة, Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Malakiyah as-Su’udiyah) (RSAF) is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabia ...
; *
Turkmen Air Force The Turkmen Air Force ( tk, Türkmen Howa Güýçleri) is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. It was formed from former Soviet Air Forces units within that region of the Turkestan Military District. The Turkmen Air Force in ...
; *
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...


Former operators

; *
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...


Notable accidents


Specifications (Merlin HM1)


Notable appearances in media


_See_also


_References

;Citations ;Bibliography *_AgustaWestland
''AW101_Utility''.
AgustaWestland,_June_2008. *_Cooper,_Neil._''The_business_of_death:_Britain's_arms_trade_at_home_and_abroad''._I.B.Tauris,_1997._. *_Crawford,_Stephen._''Twenty-first_century_military_helicopters:_today's_fighting_gunships''._Zenith_Imprint,_2003._. *_Dobbin,_Murray._''The_politics_of_Kim_Campbell:_from_school_trustee_to_Prime_Minister''._James_Lorimer_&_Company,_1993._. *_Donald,_David,_ed._''The_Complete_Encyclopedia_of_World_Aircraft''._New_York:_Barnes_&_Noble_Books,_1997._. *_Eden,_Paul,_ed._''Encyclopedia_of_Modern_Military_Aircraft''._London:_Amber_Books,_2004._. *_Evans,_Nicholas_D._''Military_gadgets:_how_advanced_technology_is_transforming_today's_battlefield--_and_tomorrow's''._FT_Press,_2004._. *_Frawley,_Gerald._''The_International_Directory_of_Military_Aircraft,_2002/2003''._Fyshwick,_Australian_Capital_Territory.html" ;"title="WP:AIRPOP.html" ;"title="Aircraft in fiction, please see WP:AIRPOP">Aircraft in fiction, please see WP:AIRPOP -->


See also


References

;Citations ;Bibliography * AgustaWestland
''AW101 Utility''.
AgustaWestland, June 2008. * Cooper, Neil. ''The business of death: Britain's arms trade at home and abroad''. I.B.Tauris, 1997. . * Crawford, Stephen. ''Twenty-first century military helicopters: today's fighting gunships''. Zenith Imprint, 2003. . * Dobbin, Murray. ''The politics of Kim Campbell: from school trustee to Prime Minister''. James Lorimer & Company, 1993. . * Donald, David, ed. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. . * Eden, Paul, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft''. London: Amber Books, 2004. . * Evans, Nicholas D. ''Military gadgets: how advanced technology is transforming today's battlefield-- and tomorrow's''. FT Press, 2004. . * Frawley, Gerald. ''The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002/2003''. Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory">Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 2002. . * Friedman, Norman. ''The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapons systems, 1997–1998''. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1997. . * Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. ''Modern fighting helicopters''. Random House Value Publishing, 1986. . * Harding, Ian. "Long distance wizard". ''Air International'', Vol. 79, No. 1, July 2010. pp. 70–75. . * Jackson, Paul. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004''. 2003, Jane's Information Group. Coulsdon, UK. * Jackson, Paul; Munson, Kenneth; Peacock, Lindsay. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2009–2010''. 2009, Jane's Information Group. Coulsdon, UK. * Lake, Jon. "Variant File: AgustaWestland EH101/AW101". ''International Air Power Review''. Volume 22. Westport, Connecticut, USA: AIRtime Publishing, 2007. pp. 116–135. . . * Lavington, Simon. ''Moving Targets: Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain, 1947–67''. Springer 2011, . * Martin, Stephen. ''The economics of offsets: defence procurement and countertrade''. Routledge, 1996. . * Matthews, Ron. ''European armaments collaboration: policy, problems and prospects''. Routledge, 1992. . * Moir, Ian and Allan G. Seabridge. ''Aircraft systems: mechanical, electrical, and avionics subsystems integration''. John Wiley and Sons, 2008. . * Plamondon, Aaron. ''The politics of procurement: military acquisition in Canada and the Sea King helicopter''. UBC Press, 2009. .


External links

*
Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 website

Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 website

EH-101 Merlin page (in English) on Portuguese Air Force site


{{Italian military aircraft
AW101 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 requiremen ...
Aircraft first flown in 1987 Anti-submarine helicopters 1980s international anti-submarine aircraft 1980s international civil utility aircraft 1980s international military transport aircraft Italy–United Kingdom relations Kawasaki Aerospace Company 1980s international helicopters Military transport helicopters Three-turbine helicopters