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FIRST AGUSTAWESTLAND EH101'S OPERATIONAL

To the beancounters in the UK National Audit Office the EH101 programme is a horror story. Even in the latest annual report presented to Parliament, the figures have hardly changed. Procurement of 44 Merlin HM Mk1's for the Royal Navy, including training and logistics systems, is likely to come to Pound 5,028 billion (DM16.34 billion), Pound 1,161 billion over budget. The official in-service date in March 1999, at which point twelve helicopters had been delivered, was more than five years (63 months) behind schedule.

Figures such as these illustrate only too clearly the major shortcomings in the management of British armaments programmes, even if one reflects that the original Naval Staff Requirement for a Sea King replacement was drawn up in the 1970s. It is thus hardly surprising that Pound 307 million of the cost overruns painstakingly detailed by the NAO are due to inflation, but another Pound 61 million are the result of programme add-ons.

The lion's share of the extra costs (Pound 379 million) is attributable to the development programme, which was dogged by technical problems as well as the loss of three prototype helicopters in accidents. Again, the cost of the training systems has escalated by Pound 81 million. Then on top of this are a number of smaller items such as #12 million for an in-depth review of the software.

According to the NAO, some 32 months of slippage was caused by technical problems in the initial phase of the programme, integration of the Automatic Flight Control System and the accidents. Another two years were lost due to restructuring and selection of a new prime contractor, and a further 12 months due to budget-induced delays.

Since there is little point in getting worked up over the past, the Royal Navy is focusing on the present. And, at least for the crews directly involved, this is not looking at all bad. "When everything is working properly, the Merlin performs brilliantly. It beats everything we've flown up to now," says Commander P. A. G. Shaw, commanding officer of 824 Squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. "The Merlin is simple to handle, extremely capable and as agile as a Lynx, its avionics equipment is very good and it has a really clever autopilot system.

"To observers and sensor operators, the Merlin is quite different from older helicopters because of the vast amount of information flooding in thanks to the new data link. Maintenance of the Merlin is simple, though we still have to optimise our support facilities," explains Commander Shaw.

In fact the Merlin HM Mk1's state-of-the-art equipment makes it a formidable weapons platform in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW) roles. The fact that the prime contractor for the Mk1 is not AgustaWestland but Lockheed Martin UK just goes to show how important its on-board systems are. The UK subsidiary of the US armaments giant is responsible for systems integration of the various sensors and their control units.

The Merlin HM Mk1 has perhaps the most comprehensive equipment fit of any naval helicopter. Thus, for example, it has an active Thomson Marconi dipping sonar which is let down into the water on a 750 metre line. It works in the medium and low frequency range, and the data returned is analysed by the AQS-903 processor. According to the Royal Navy the range is so good that it only requires two Merlins to keep the English Channel under surveillance.

Passive submarine surveillance is performed by a range of sonobuoy types which are held in two stores stations in the rear cabin area. An additional sensor in the form of a BAE Systems (formerly GEC-Marconi) Blue Kestrel 5000 radar is mounted on the underside of the fuselage. This provides a 360-o scanning capability and can also be used to guide anti-ship missiles. The Orange Reaper Electronic Support Measures system with its six antennae maintains continuous monitoring of hostile emissions in the C-J bands and is capable of detecting 2000 different types of emitter.

The processed sensor data is displayed on the Common Control Unit, which can be viewed both by the pilot and co-pilot/observer and also on the console in the cabin. Interpretation is assisted by digital map representations of the sea bed. Various radio sets (2 x VHF, 1 x UHF, 1 x HF), all of which operate with encryption devices, are available for reporting back to the mother ship and other units. Armament on the Merlin HM Mk1 currently comprises four Stingray torpedoes, but it would also be possible and indeed highly desirable to equip the aircraft with anti-ship guided missiles.

System testing has apparently proceeded without incident to date and has included trials in the Hebrides, where the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) has a large proving ground. However, Merlins have also been taken to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) on the island of Andros (Bahamas) a number of times. This test facility operated by the Americans has very good instrumentation for deep-water trials.

Ongoing acceptance testing has involved not only teams from industry but also Royal Navy crew. Since December 1998 the Royal Navy has operated an intensive flying trials unit in Culdrose, Cornwall, 700M Squadron, with four EH101s .

Now that over half of the 44 Merlin HM Mk1s on order have been delivered, 824 Naval Air Squadron, which is responsible for training, was commissioned on 2 June. The next milestone will be the commissioning of the first front-line squadron, 814 Naval Air Squadron, at the end of 2001. This will then be followed by 820 and 829 Squadrons.

Meanwhile entry into service of the Merlin with the Royal Air Force is also moving ahead. Six of the HC Mk3 transport EH101's had been delivered as of June. The official in-service date has only slipped by six months since contracts were signed in June 1995. On the cost front, this part of the EH101 programme is looking equally good. The National Audit Office estimates that the cost of development and production for 22 helicopters will even come in slightly under the budgeted Pound 758 million.

The HC Mk3 differs from the naval version by having a modified rear fuselage incorporating a ramp and a less complex avionics fit. However, it has a very comprehensive electronic warfare (EW) suite. The cockpit is designed for flying operations using night vision goggles and, if required, a FLIR can be mounted in the nose. Range can be enhanced with an in-flight refuelling probe. Machine guns are provided for self-defence for operations in hostile terrain.

The Merlin HC Mk3 will be operated by No. 28 Squadron at RAF Benson, while No. 72 Squadron in Aldergrove is also to get some of the new helicopters. Deliveries are planned to be complete as soon as the end of 2001.

Entry into service of the EH101 with the Italian Navy will take significantly longer, and will not be complete until 2004. Its first machine (MMI 2-01) was rolled out at AgustaWestland in Vergiate on 6 December 1999. Initially only 16 helicopters worth around $775 million have been ordered. The order is complex as three different versions are being procured.

Eight EH101's are being purchased for the ASW role. Their equipment configuration is similar to that of the British Merlin HM Mk1s, but a number of Italian systems, such as the Eliradar APS-784, the Alenia AYK-204 processor and an Alenia EW suite, are to be installed. The dipping sonar will be a Honeywell HELRAS Mod2, while the EH101 is to be fitted with Marte Mk2 anti-ship missiles as well as torpedoes.

For airborne early warning (AEW) missions, four Italian EH101's will be fitted with the Eliradar HEW-784, an enhanced version of the APS-784 with a larger antenna. Four additional aircraft with a simpler equipment fit will then be purchased as transport helicopters for airborne troops. AgustaWestland is hoping that additional orders will follow, as the original Italian requirement was for 36 EH101's.

In addition to the two EH101 programme partner countries, the only other customer to date has been Canada, which has purchased the 15-tonne utility variant. An initial order for 43 helicopters in November 1993 was cancelled following a change of government in Ottawa, but when the competition was reopened the EH101 was declared the winner. However, the order which followed was for only 15 search and rescue (SAR) aircraft.

The contract for the Cormorant, as it is known in Canada, which was signed in 1998, is worth Canadian $579 million, including Canadian $629 million of offsets for Canadian industry. To keep the price down, the Cormorant is based on the civil variant of the EH101, with a rear loading ramp and rescue winch.

The Cormorants are being built in Italy and the first machine made its debut on 31 May. Together with a second helicopter, it is now being used for pilot training. At the start of 2001 they will be taken across the Atlantic to Canada. The first unit to be equipped will be the 442 Transport & Rescue Squadron in Comox, British Columbia, which is to have five Cormorants. The remaining helicopters will go to 413 Squadron (Greenwood, Nova Scotia), 424 Squadron (Trenton, Ontario) and 103 Squadron (Gander, Newfoundland).

The 15 SAR Cormorants may eventually be joined by additional EH101's, as the Canadians are still looking for a replacement for their shipborne Sea Kings. The requirement here is for 30 helicopters.

AgustaWestland also sees an opportunity for further EH101 sales in the Nordic Standard Helicopter Programme (NSHP). Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are trying to agree on the joint procurement of 70 aircraft in the transport, SAR and naval roles. Other contenders besides AgustaWestland include NHIndustries (NH90), Eurocopter (Cougar) and Sikorsky (S-92). Tenders were submitted in April.

Another prospect for the EH101 is Portugal, which has a requirement for up to 12 long-range SAR helicopters. Finally, the UK Ministry of Defence is also looking into a possible Support Amphibious Battlefield Rotorcraft. So the prospects of the EH101 passing the 100 order mark are looking good.

From page 58 of FLUG REVUE 10/2000