According to a recent press release from the Royal Navy, its fleet of Wildcat maritime attack helicopters is poised to reach its “true potential” in 2024.
Enhanced with new weaponry and technology, these helicopters are set to transform significantly after nearly a decade in frontline service.
Lieutenant Scott Sunderland, an instructor pilot with 825 Naval Air Squadron, expressed his enthusiasm for the upgrades in the press release. “I’ve spent most of my time with Wildcat in a period where we haven’t had any hard kill capability,” he noted. “But now, with these missiles coming online, it’s an absolute game changer.”
As outlined in the press release, the Wildcat’s new armaments include Martlet missiles for engaging boat swarms and small ships, Sting Ray torpedoes for submarine warfare, and the soon-to-be-deployed Sea Venom missiles for larger surface targets. Additionally, the helicopters can now be equipped with a .50 calibre machine gun and accommodate Royal Marines sniper teams.
The release also highlighted the role of the Yeovilton-based Wildcat Maritime Force (WMF), comprising 400 personnel and 28 Wildcats.
The HMA2 variant of the Wildcat, which has been in service since 2015, has logged over 40,000 flying hours. The AH-1 variant, used by Commando Helicopter Force’s 847 Naval Air Squadron, has also been effective, amassing over 9,000 flying hours since 2014.
A significant advancement mentioned is the integration of the Link 16 system. This technology allows Wildcats to control drones and communicate seamlessly within NATO’s network. “It opens a whole host of activity across NATO that Wildcat can contribute to which it hasn’t been to date,” Cdr Lang explained in the press release.
For further details, read more here.
Sea Venom, designed to attack small boats…. hmmmmm, well I guess we could find a use for them in the Dover area….. But being serious though, at last these great aircraft will get some serious firepower and they will certainly now give an extra level of threat whilst being able to embark on so many different Ships. R2’s. T23’s, T45’s, T26’s, T31’s. QE’s and so many more.
If I recall, Sea Venom is the replacement for Sea Skua, but has a longer range. It has man in the loop data link and imaging guidance and is intended to disable corvette sized opponents by taking out the mast or radar. Clever piece of kit. Put a Wildcat on a River 2 and you have an OPV which can influence a significant area. Martlet is the missile for small boat (swarms).
Sea Skua, and I believe Sea Venom, had a warhead designed to do a lot more than take out a mast or radar. The warhead was designed to penetrate the hull, delay a little, then fire once it had penetrated the ship and fire a lot of the warhead effect downwards into the bowels of the ship.
Wasn’t aware of that, thx. It’s good to see it coming into service. I read somewhere that the delay was due to the French, who were doing the testing, deciding they didn’t want the missile after all.
Skua definitely had a SAP warhead…Trust me bro…I was an Air Weapons Maintainer!
Even joking about doing that civilians is in poor taste. Can we afford to have an open border to everyone, no. Should we abide by international law and remember these migrants are human with aspirations and feelings, yes.
Wildcat is a fantastic little gunship, but its unfortunately a bit of an odd duck. Every ship in the fleet is being built to operate Merlin or Chinook-sized aircraft; so where is the requirement for a light helicopter in such a small fleet?
In the mid to long term, it would be nice to see a rationalisation programme in the same vein as the RAF medium helicopter force and the original plan for an all-Merlin fleet. A single medium-lift helicopter platform capable of covering the attack, ASW, and air assault roles, complemented by drones for light attack and detection.
Red Sea springs to mind…. Ideal armament …… fast and capable.
You can fit two Wildcats in a hangar built for a Merlin. Double the fun!
The trouble is do we have enough of them to do that ?
Yes we have enough.
Problem is that you need twice the accom for the Flight maintainer Wafus.
And it all gets a bit crowded in the Hangar with all the clicky beds they turn up with.
Clicky beds, haven’t heard that in a while.
It’s hardly light. I know I have shoved them and Lynx in and out hangars and around flight decks on many occasions! RN ships are getting Merlin/Chinook capable flight decks. Thats not the same as being able to operate them in a sustained operational condition. Hangar services such as refuel, and flight deck power are all prerequisites before you even put a helo inside. Refuel and power services support all types of aircraft nowadays including Apache. Doesn’t mean you can operate it though. Chinook wont fold and Merlin is limited to ASW only. Lynx, the father of Wildcat proved itself… Read more »
I have always struggled to see the Navy’s rationalization of why Merlin does not have any surface capability, other than a set of GPMGs hanging out the windows. Leaving that role specifically for the Wildcat. I know its primary task is ASW, but it has the capability to do more. Just look at what the Italians fit on the sides of their EH101s, besides being ASW cabs.
It’s all relative, a Merlin is still 3 times heavier than a Wildcat. What ships are fitted with Merlin-capable flight decks that can’t operate specifically Merlins for a sustained period? All of our remaining escorts were designed to operate Merlins, obviously the carriers can, and basically everything else has a large flight deck and no hangar, so isn’t able to support any helicopter long term. Ultimately, what specific requirement does a Wildcat fulfill that a Merlin upgraded to accept Sea Venom and Martlet couldn’t do? You mention small and fast strike helos, but a Wildcat isn’t much faster, and longer-range… Read more »
“what specific requirement does a Wildcat fulfill that a Merlin upgraded to accept Sea Venom and Martlet couldn’t do?”
Keep a helicopter factory open, is that the answer??
Certainly part of the answer, although Merlins and Wildcats are both built at the AW factory in Yeovil
Lynx used to hold the World Speed record, is the Wildcat markedly slower?
That world speed record was highly modified version capable of nearly 250kt.
Published speed for the military version was 175kt, Wildcat is listed at 168kt, and Merlin at 150kt. Bearing in mind that the published figures may not be completely accurate, Wildcat is still almost certainly slower than Lynx, and Merlin isn’t exactly far behind.
Add to that Apache is only usable in the most calm of sea states. I have seen the Lynx take of and land in some very heavy seas.
Bloody disgraceful it’s taken so long.
Old naval Lynx had Stingray and Sea Skua capability and only now having Link 16 installed!
Lynx never had a data link.
OHT was done by HF Secure comms reporting for things like Harpoon shoots!
Early versions had no EO or 360 radar.
L16 is a great asset to get and will improve situational awareness for the aircraft and ship.
T31 will have no onboard ASW kit. S Korea operates Wildcat with lightweight dipping sonar. Why don’t we?
Because our government don’t like spending money 💰 🙄
Because it’s cramped and no substitute for a Merlin?
Because we have Merlin. And I’m sure the Korean Wildcat is missing kit that we have. Like the ability to carry 20 Martlets.
Lynx/Wildcat cabin is cramped. Most fits are optional extras, and most of the black boxes for optional extras all go inside the cabin behind the pilot copilot seats. Add a winch and console and you will lose something else. Role changing between fits takes time, sometimes 10s of hours. Adding a winch (weight) reduces endurance by reducing fuel and weapon load. You are better off doing long range detection with a T23/Merlin combo and tasking a Wildcat to pony in with a couple of torps at 150mph, vectac, return, do an 4R and then return to the Merlin. While that’s… Read more »
It is a shame the Wildcat did not get the foot longer cabin of the Lynx 3/Westland 606 prototypes.
T31 is a target…
” full potential in 2024″ You mean we’re going to put one on a ship? 🤗
Giving our Navy some punch ,that’s not like our government 🤗
If it’s really effective I onder if there be a surface launched version like Sea Brimstone? The SV should be fireable from UAVs like Protector. I. Think we mentioned this a while ago, why doesn’t the Merlin also have a Marlet/SV as a secondary ability as well?
Hopefully the Armys Wildcats might get some serious punch too, some day soon.
Before that happens the aircraft will need upgrading with MIL-STD-1760 wiring etc. for a dedicated weapons bus. If I remember correctly this wasn’t included on the Army Wildcats. They use the same Westcam EO turret, so it can light up a target with a laser for Martlet. So it’s halfway there.
I’ve always appreciated your dry sense of humour Graham 🤣🤣😂
I’ll have you know General Blow Hard, Sebastian Tad-syrup Blimp, doesn’t want his personal airborne Cadillac weighted down with unnecessary nonsense……
Will you people stop trying to spoil the vertical limousine service!!
Thanks John. You’re not so bad yourself at dry humour! Well it is dry January for some of us!
South Korean Wildcats have been armed with the Spike NLOS missile. A handy long range precision ground strike capability.