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EH-101 Naval

The EH-101 helicopter is medium lift helicopter for military, naval and civil purposes and has been developed by Agusta-Westland.
The EH-101 is operational since 1999 and there have been ordered more than 150 helicopters. The helicopter is ordered/in service by: the United-Kingdom (Navy and Air Force), Italy (Navy and Air Force), Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Japan and the United States of America. On this page only the maritime version will be described.


EH-101 Maritime version

Cockpit

The cockpit of the EH-101 (see picture 1) has a advanced dark cockpit design which reduces crew workload. It has:
- color integrated electronic instrument displays
- optimum presentation of data for low crew workload
- single pilot operation
- fully integrated core avionics system

Picture 1
 

Flight Controls
The EH-101 has a fully coupled digital, dual-redundant automatic flight control system to do:
- standard search patterns
- automatic transitions to and from the hover
- category II approaches
- normal pilot functions

Modes include:
- Altitude and airspeed hold
- Heading and vertical speed acquire
- Transition down and up
- Hover hold and trim
- Navigation

Power plant
The EH-101 has 3 gas turbine engines with the availability to choose between the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 or the General Electric T700. The RTM322, developed by Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca is used by the British Navy in the Mk250 version (Fig. 2).
Figure 2
RTM322 Mk250
Thrust : 1.1693 kW
Pressure Ratio: 14.2
Length: 1.17 meters
Diameter: 0.65 meters
Compressor: 3x high pressure (HP)+ 1x centrifugal high pressure (CFHP)

Other
Further, the EH-101 has a search radar, FLIR, ESM and the navigation systems: Embedded GPS/INS homing, doppler and a full IFR radionavigation suite. IFR means Instrument Flight Rules.

Canada
GKN Westland and Agusta have been developed asame with 15 Canadian companies 15 EH-101 Cormorant heli's for the Canadian Defense. The helicopters will be used for Search and Rescue missions (SAR).

Italy
Italy has the utility transport version and the surface surveillance version. The Italian Navy has bought 8 ASW, 4 AEW and 4 helicopters for amphibious missions. The 4 EH-101 Airborne Early Warning helicopters will be operational on the Italian aircraft carrier and take care of the electronic warfare. The heli is equipped wit a APF-784 radar and a HELRAS active dipping sonar.

United-Kingdom
The British navy has bought 44 EH-101 Merlin helicopters. Merlin is the name for the British EH-101 Naval version.The helicopters have been developed and manufactured by AgustaWestland with a new integrated mission systems which was developed by Lockheed Martin (USA). The first merlin flow in January 1997, came in service in 1998 en was operational in 2001. The last one was delivered to the British Navy in november 2002.
The first Merlins were also called HM Mk 1, the latest with HM Mk 3. The merlin was originally developed for anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, amphibious operations and SAR missions. The Heli's are used from land bases, Type 22 and Type 23 frigates, Invincible aircraft carriers and amphibious ships from the British Navy.


Denmark
The Air Force of Denmark has ordered 14 EH-101 Merlin Mk 512 helicopters of which the first was delivered on January 10, 2006 and the second on january 19, 2006. From the others will one be delivered each month. They will be operational with Esk 722 on Karup Air Force Base.

2x EH-101 Merlin HM.1 from the British Navy


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Last updated: August 14, 2010