Further to an earlier piece on rationalising the United Kingdom's naval and military combat helicopter fleet,herein we shall list the only helicopter types which the United Kingdom's armed forces actually need (rather than have or want).
The Hector shall be a helicopter of approximately three long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military initial helicopter pilot training and for other non combat tasks for which a larger helicopter is unneccessary or impractical such as the Trinity House (lighthouse support) and police force (surveillance) charters.
The Hector shall be a modified existing type,such as the elderly AW109 or AW119,or an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's helicopter industry.
Picture: Grand Logistics
The Hercules shall be a helicopter of approximately six long tons maximum take off weight used for both naval and military combat helicopter pilot training and for other non combat tasks for which a larger helicopter is unneccessary or impractical such as the Waterguard Service (search and rescue) and health service (air ambulance) charters.
The Hercules shall be a modified existing type,such as the AW139M or AW169M,or an all new aircraft designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's helicopter industry,in the interim AW159 Wildcats may perform some of the roles of the Hercules.
The Hermes,or Ultra Merlin,shall be a helicopter of approximately twenty long tons maximum take off weight used for both military and naval combat and for non combat tasks which require a large helicopter such as the Waterguard Service (search and rescue),Home Office (secure transport) and Foreign Office (hospital ship) charters.
The Hermes helicopter shall be a Super Merlin helicopter with a new,longer,composite air frame (Super Merlin being a twenty long ton class helicopter which combines the air frame of the Merlin's transport variant with larger rotors,uprated engines and transmission and systems capable of detecting,identifying,tracking and engaging air,surface and submarine targets) designed and built in the United Kingdom to stimulate the United Kingdom's economy and secure the future of the United Kingdom's helicopter industry.
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