FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1978
1978 - 3003.PDF
FLIGHT International, 25 November 1978 Royal Navy keeps its wings WHEN HMS Ark Royal enters Devon- port for the last time next month, and her complement of Phantoms and Buccaneers is transferred to the Royal Air Force, the Fleet Air Arm will not cease to exist. This was the message of a briefing entitled "The Fleet Air Arm of the 1980s," given at RNAS Yeovilton last week. The Royal Navy is committed to Nato, within which it defends the North Atlantic and Britain's eastern shores. By the mid-1980s the Soviet Union will have more than 300 sub marines, a large proportion of which will be available for operation in the Nato area. To counter this threat the Navy aims to equip every ship over 2,000 tons displacement with at least one anti-submarine hehcopter, and to introduce a new large ASW helicopter to replace the Sea King HAS.2, which will become increasingly ineffective towards the late 1980s as the Russians improve the quality of their sub marines. The planned front-line strength is 150 aircraft, made up of five squad rons of large ASW helicopters, 50 to 60 small-ship helicopters, three squad rons of Sea Harriers and a number of commando-support aircraft. About 100 other aircraft will be needed for transport, training and liaison duties. Almost 80 per cent of the Fleet Air Arm's strength will be helicopters. The three new anti-submarine cruisers, designed to carry Sea Har riers and helicopters, will provide air cover for the fleet. The first of these ships, HMS Invincible, has already been launched, and HMS Illustrious is due to join her next month. Long- lead items have been ordered for the third vessel, though the go-ahead for construction has not yet been given. Although Royal Navy Sea King HAS.2s are to be fitted with a passive sonobuoy processor to improve their detection performance, the Navy has now endorsed the requirement for a Sea King replacement. Following feasibility studies completed eighteen months ago, which resulted in the choice of Westland's WG.34 airframe, the Sea King Replacement (SKR) has now entered the project-definition phase. The SKR is intended to operate autonomously at great range from its base, and this independence is achieved by using sonobuoys rather than the traditional dunking sonar. With an automated data-processing system only three crew will be needed —pilot, observer and acoustic opera tor. The WG.34, with a gross weight of 24,0001b, will have a higher pay- load than the Sea King HAS.2 (gross weight 21,0001b) so that it can carry the increased load of equipment and fuel needed. Westland is responsible for air frame and avionics integration, ad vised by Marconi, which is also res ponsible for the acoustic processor and displays. Decca is working on navigation (Doppler, Omega) and electronic support measures (ESM) equipment, and Ferranti is respon sible for the radar and tactical data-processing system. Equipment selected for the WG.34 includes a development of the Nimrod's AQS-901 acoustic processor; a version of the Lynx Sea Spray radar; a modified Lynx ESM system; Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) data link; and an ASQ-81 towed magnetic anomaly detector. To improve the Navy's ASW capa bility the Lynx HAS.2 may be fitted with additional detection gear, prob ably a dunking sonar similar to that fitted to French Navy Lynx. So far 702 Sqn at Yeovilton, responsible for Lynx conversion training and the work-up and parenting of ship's flights, has formed flights on nine Navy ships, ranging from Type 21 frigates such as HMS Arrow to Type 42 destroyers HMS Birmingham and Newcastle. Two Naval Air Commando Squad rons, 845 and 846, are to receive 15 Westland Sea King Mk4s. Similar to the Westland Commandos supplied to Egypt, the Mk4 will have flotation gear, folding main rotors and tail boom, and better avionics. The maxi mum slung load of 8,0001b is twice that of the Wessex HU.5, and the new aircraft will be able to carry the one- tonne Land-Rover and 105mm light gun, which are now coming into ser vice with the Royal Marines and are beyond the capacity of the Wessex. The first aircraft is due to be de livered in 1979 in time for next year's series of winter exercises in the Arctic. The aircraft will operate alongside the Wessex HU.5s currently flown by the squadrons. In June 1979 the Sea Harrier In tensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU), tasked with developing and proving tactics and maintenance procedures, will form at Yeovilton. The first of three squadrons, 800, will form at the end of 1979 and embark on HMS Hermes in 1980 after the ship has been refitted with a Ski-jump ramp.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
