GKN Westland Helicopters is to retrofit the Belgian air force's fleet of five Westland Sea Kings with new automatic flight-control systems.

The installation of the Smiths Newmark SN500 system follows an upgrade programme completed in 1995 by Westland, enhancing the fleet's operational capability beyond 2015.

SN500s were fitted in the six new Sea King Mk3As delivered in 1996 to the Royal Air Force. The company is also upgrading a former Royal Navy Mk5, destined for the Royal Australian Navy, in line with the life-extension work on its six-helicopter fleet in 1995.

Westland claims to be attracting considerable interest in Sea King upgrade work and has established a directorate for customer support. Egypt is in "preliminary discussions" over an upgrade of at least part of its 30-strong Sea King fleet.

The first fully operational EH101 Merlin HM Mk1 was handed over formally to the Royal Navy on 27 May at Yeovil in the UK. The following day, the first civil-production EH101 was rolled out by Agusta in Italy.

Source: Flight International