First Operational Deployment of Royal Navy Wildcat maritime attack helicopter

The first Royal Navy Wildcat maritime attack helicopter has taken to the seas onboard HMS Lancaster.
The Type 23 frigate sailed from her home in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 21 for a routine nine-month Atlantic patrol tasking.
HMS Lancaster is the first ship in the Royal Navy to deploy with the new Wildcat Helicopter.
This deployment will afford the Royal Navy the opportunity to understand and develop the aircraft and its support systems and maintenance procedures.
The Wildcat is designed for a variety of roles – anti-ship, anti-submarine, ship protection, casualty evacuation, battlefield reconnaissance and general utility.
westerngazette

AW-159 Likely to be Philippines Navy First ASW Helicopters

There is a strong possibility that the AgustaWestland AW-159 "Wildcat" will be selected as the Philippine Navy's (PN's) first anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter as revealed a military source Tuesday.
The AW-159 (previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat) is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter.
The helicopter has been ordered for the Royal Navy and British Army.
It is to enter service with the British Army in 2014 and with the Royal Navy in 2015.
Money for the two ASW helicopters will be sourced from Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Trust Fund.
Acquisition of the two ASW helicopters is under the Medium Term Development Capability Plan for 2013 to 2017.
The AW-159 ASW will be assigned to the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz.
The acquisition process for these ASW helicopters is expected to go on full gear once the PN completes its five AW-109 order deal from AgustaWestland by the third quarter of 2014.
defense-studies

Wildcat helicopter replacing Royal Navy's Westland Lynx passes first major test

The newest helicopter in the Royal Navy's arsenal came through its toughest test, spending a fortnight taking part in Europe's biggest naval war games.
Wildcat joined HMS Dragon on Exercise Joint Warrior. It is the first time the helicopter – normally based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset with 700W Naval Air Squadron – has spent such a concerted time at sea, and the first time it has taken part in the exercise aboard a ship.
From next year, Wildcat will start to replace the Lynx as the mainstay of aerial operations by the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers.
Although it looks similar to its predecessor, Wildcat is a different aircraft, from the way it handles, to the equipment aboard – which is a generation ahead of that on the Lynx.
Later this year Wildcat will go through two months of intensive Operational Sea Training with a Type 23 frigate to prepare ship and helicopter for deployment.
Wildcat is due to be declared operational in early 2015 and is due to deploy for the first time with a Royal Navy warship on the North Atlantic patrol next May.
westerndailypress

New Wildcat aircraft drops in on Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon for the first time

The Royal Navy’s Wildcat, the maritime attack variant of the Lynx helicopter, is currently undergoing extensive trials with 700W Naval Air Squadron.
From next year, Wildcat will begin to replace the Lynx Mark 8 as the helicopter which supports Royal Navy destroyer and frigate operations.
Wildcat will be a more permanent presence on board Dragon later this month as, for the first time, the helicopter is embarking on the ship for the latest Exercise Joint Warrior; a biannual exercise in which British and foreign armed forces hone their skills off the coast of Scotland.
The Wildcat roll-out programme continues apace, and plans are in motion for the current flight to be the first to complete operational sea training with a Type 23 frigate in the autumn.
gov.uk

Philippine Navy Looks at the Possibility of Acquiring AW-159 "Wildcat"Helicopter

The Philippines Department of National Defense announced on Monday that it has allocated funds for the acquisition of two brand-new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters for the Philippine Navy.
The Philippine Navy earlier announced that it is looking at the possibility of acquiring the AW-159 "Wildcat" as its ASW helicopters.
The ASW choppers will be assigned to the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16).
The AW-159 is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter.
The AW-159 will serve in the battlefield utility, search and rescue and anti-surface warfare roles.
The AW-159 is fitted with forward firing CRV7 rockets and machine guns, pintle mounted machine gun, Sea Skua missiles and Sting-Ray torpedoes and depth charges.
The acquisition process for these ASW helicopters is expected to go on full gear once the Philippine Navy completes its five AW-109 order deal from AgustaWestland by the third quarter of 2014.
defense-studies

Royal Navy Wildcat makes flight debut

The UK Ministry of Defence has released images showing the first flight of a production example of the Royal Navy's new AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 helicopter.

Performed from the airframer's Yeovil production site in Somerset, the milestone was reached by aircraft ZZ397, which was previously due to have been accepted by the navy in mid-December 2012.

AgustaWestland will produce 28 Wildcats for the RN and 34 for the British Army under a programme worth more than £1.6 billion ($2.5 billion), with the type to enter use with the services in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The manufacturer will also deliver training and support services under a £250 million agreement signed during 2012.

Also being marketed to potential international customers as the AW159, the Wildcat won its first export competition in January 2013, when the South Korean navy selected the type for an initial eight-aircraft requirement. A contract signature for the roughly $560 million deal is expected soon, with deliveries sought from 2015.

Denmark confirms MH-60R selection to replace Lynx helicopters

The Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawk has been selected to replace Denmark's Westland Lynx shipborne helicopters, with the US team having beaten a rival offer of AgustaWestland's new-generation AW159 Lynx Wildcat.

flightglobal