AW101 Merlin Helicopter (RN)

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Jake1992
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Jake1992 »

Scimitar54 wrote:How long will it be before the Osprey in USMC service acquires an AEWAC?
That depends because they are also looking at other options such as the V-247 vigilance drone which will come in at least 3 version ( AEW, EW and Attack ) this is where I’d be investing in if I was the RN

Scimitar54
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Scimitar54 »

So far, only the Osprey has folding wings and props :idea:

Ron5
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Re: Merlin helicopters

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Jake1992 wrote:
Scimitar54 wrote:How long will it be before the Osprey in USMC service acquires an AEWAC?
That depends because they are also looking at other options such as the V-247 vigilance drone which will come in at least 3 version ( AEW, EW and Attack ) this is where I’d be investing in if I was the RN
V-247 too small for AEW.

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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Ron5 »

Scimitar54 wrote:How long will it be before the Osprey in USMC service acquires an AEWAC?
Isn't that what the USN is for?

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Ron5 wrote:
Scimitar54 wrote:How long will it be before the Osprey in USMC service acquires an AEWAC?
Isn't that what the USN is for?
Quite; and theirs does have folding wings and props
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Jake1992
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Jake1992 »

Scimitar54 wrote:So far, only the Osprey has folding wings and props :idea:
Not any more the V-247 has aswell now there are videos on YouTube showing it.
Ron5 wrote:
Jake1992 wrote:
Scimitar54 wrote:How long will it be before the Osprey in USMC service acquires an AEWAC?
That depends because they are also looking at other options such as the V-247 vigilance drone which will come in at least 3 version ( AEW, EW and Attack ) this is where I’d be investing in if I was the RN
V-247 too small for AEW.
Not according to the designer and manufacture they state one of the roles for one version is AEW, it is nearly the size of a V-280 so it’s not that small at all

abc123
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by abc123 »

So, 90 mil. euros for 4 AW101 Merlin?

Damn cheap if you ask me...

https://defence-blog.com/news/poland-to ... pters.html


Sorry, that's just the cost of the offset contract, not the actual cost of the deal. Brainfart by me.
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Lord Jim
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Lord Jim »

Please Sir can we have some more?

abc123
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by abc123 »

Lord Jim wrote:Please Sir can we have some more?
Yeep, if that's the cost, I would order another dozen right away.
Fortune favors brave sir, said Carrot cheerfully.
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…

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xav
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by xav »

First Flight for Royal Navy’s Merlin Crowsnest AEW Helicopter
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The first Leonardo Merlin HM.2 helicopter fitted with the Crowsnest kit conducted its first flight in late March 2019 at the Leonardo Helicopters (formerly AgustaWestland) site of Yeovil. The Crowsnest kit transforms the Merlin HM.2 of the Royal Navy into an Advanced Early Warning (AEW) helicopter.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... elicopter/

Lord Jim
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Lord Jim »

Will these be ready for the big far east tour?

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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Ron5 »

abc123 wrote:So, 90 mil. euros for 4 AW101 Merlin?

Damn cheap if you ask me...

https://defence-blog.com/news/poland-to ... pters.html


Sorry, that's just the cost of the offset contract, not the actual cost of the deal. Brainfart by me.
The article clearly states:

"The cost of the contract for the purchase of four AW101, according to Polish media reports, will be about 90 million euros"

serge750
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by serge750 »

Lord Jim wrote:Will these be ready for the big far east tour?

Well according to the Save the royal navy yes, I really do hope so aswell.

https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/timeli ... er-strike/

donald_of_tokyo
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

Ron5 wrote:
abc123 wrote:So, 90 mil. euros for 4 AW101 Merlin?

Damn cheap if you ask me...

https://defence-blog.com/news/poland-to ... pters.html


Sorry, that's just the cost of the offset contract, not the actual cost of the deal. Brainfart by me.
The article clearly states:

"The cost of the contract for the purchase of four AW101, according to Polish media reports, will be about 90 million euros"
It is SAR AW101, not ASW. But still, 25M GBP per unit looks very cheap. Is it new build ?

Poiuytrewq
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Poiuytrewq »

donald_of_tokyo wrote:It is SAR AW101, not ASW. But still, 25M GBP per unit looks very cheap. Is it new build ?
At €90m that's works out around £20m per unit or have I missed something?

Seems like a bargain if correct.

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Tempest414
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Tempest414 »

Are Poland still looking for up to 50 battle field lift helicopters if so this could be a foot in the door deal

Aethulwulf
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Aethulwulf »

donald_of_tokyo wrote:
Ron5 wrote:
abc123 wrote:So, 90 mil. euros for 4 AW101 Merlin?

Damn cheap if you ask me...

https://defence-blog.com/news/poland-to ... pters.html


Sorry, that's just the cost of the offset contract, not the actual cost of the deal. Brainfart by me.
The article clearly states:

"The cost of the contract for the purchase of four AW101, according to Polish media reports, will be about 90 million euros"
It is SAR AW101, not ASW. But still, 25M GBP per unit looks very cheap. Is it new build ?
Wrong I think. It is ASW.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ri-457305/

donald_of_tokyo
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

Thanks. I checked the Polish government officials press release.

https://www.gov.pl/web/obrona-narodowa/ ... podwodnych

[sorry, google translate]
"On Monday, April 8 this year Marek Lapinski, secretary of state in the Defense Ministry signed offset contracts related to the acquisition by the Polish Armed Forces of helicopters for fighting submarines (ZOP) equipped with medical equipment allowing for CSAR search and rescue operations. The next step will be the conclusion of a contract for the supply of helicopters."

It is confusing. If literary read, it means the helo can do BOTH ASW and SAR.

The defence-blog says (https://defence-blog.com/news/poland-to ... pters.html)

"The contract for the purchase of four heavy CSAR helicopters must be signed later in April.

The Polish Navy planned to acquire eight prospective coast-based anti-submarine and search-and-rescue helicopters to replace the 10 ageing Soviet-era Mi-14 helicopters currently in operation in naval aviation (eight Mi-14PLMKs and two search and rescue Mi-14PL / R) 14PL). However, in 2018, for financial reasons, the Ministry of National Defense of Poland reduced the number of naval helicopters planned for acquisition to four, postponing the purchase of another four for an uncertain future."


We shall wait for further info., may be?

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RichardIC
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by RichardIC »

So the all-up price Poland is paying is roughly £320 million (1.65 bn zloty). That 90 million euros figure was clearly nonsense and only related to offsets.

I'd embed the full Tweets from the Polish MoD but they contain characters that aren't supported by this board. You can find them at @MON_GOV_PL

Image

Minister @mblaszczak in Świdnik: - The contract for the purchase of # AW101 is not everything. At the beginning of April, we signed an offset agreement, which provides for the opening of a licensed Helicopter Maintenance Support Center in Łódź

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SKB
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Re: Merlin helicopters

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(Forces TV) 4th July 2019
Battling 24-hour daylight and extreme mountainous terrain, junior pilots and crew from Commando Helicopter Force are in Norway for Exercise Nordic Hammer. The region provides 846 Naval Air Squadron with tough training conditions, not found in the UK.

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Tempest414
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Tempest414 »

great video would have been nice to see the Merlin's in green and white cam like the old Seakings . As a side I was looking at some pic's of Jaguars , Harriers and Tonkers in green & white , Gray & white cam always looked great

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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Lord Jim »

Having a third engine and the extra power compared to similar sized platforms has got to come in handy in deployments like this.

Scimitar54
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by Scimitar54 »

Navy Blue with a White underside better still! :idea:

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RichardIC
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Re: Merlin helicopters

Post by RichardIC »

Just RTd by Gabriele

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Government of Canada invests in modernizing and growing its CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue fleet
From: National Defence


https://www.canada.ca/en/department-nat ... fleet.html

News release
August 22, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

As outlined in Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is making investments to ensure the women and men of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) have the equipment they need to fulfill their missions, including search and rescue (SAR) operations.

In support of this priority, Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan announced in Comox, British Columbia investments in the search and rescue fleet of CH-149 Cormorant helicopters.

Through the investments announced, the fleet will receive at least two additional helicopters and be upgraded to extend its life to at least 2042. The project office will conduct this work with Leonardo S.p.A. in partnership with IMP Aerospace, and CAE.

Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy applies to this project. It requires the contractor, Leonardo, to undertake economic activity in Canada equal to the value of the contract, which will provide opportunities to develop key industrial capabilities in Canada.

The CH-149 Cormorant provides a helicopter capability that allows search and rescue crews to conduct operations in areas not accessible by other helicopter fleets. Upgrading and enhancing this critical capability will ensure that it continues to be the reliable aircraft needed to conduct successful search and rescue operations in Canada’s challenging environment.

Quotes
“Canadians rely on the women and men of the Royal Canadian Air Force to conduct successful search and rescue operations in challenging circumstances. These enhancements to the CH-149 Cormorant fleet will ensure that search and rescue crews have the right equipment to continue providing these life-saving services.”

Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence

“The government of Canada is committed to ensuring that the women and men who proudly serve our country, have the equipment they need to carry out their important work. Through this procurement we are extending the service life of the Cormorant fleet until 2042 and augmenting the number of aircraft available to ensure Canada’s ability to respond to incidents and keep Canadians safe.”

Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

“Through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, our government is making sure that this project delivers jobs and economic benefits across the country. For every dollar Leonardo will receive as part of this contract, the company will invest one dollar back into our economy. This will ensure the company will continue to be a key contributor to our economic growth, creating more jobs for Canadians and spurring innovation.”

Navdeep Bains, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister

“Every year, the Royal Canadian Air Force flies about 1,000 missions in support of search and rescue, a core mission of the Canadian Armed Forces. These upgrades to the CH-149 Cormorant, and an increase in fleet size ensures the RCAF will continue to deliver search and rescue services in the challenging Canadian environment.”

Lieutenant-General A.D. Meinzinger, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force

Quick facts
As part of the National Search and Rescue Program, the Department of National Defence has the mandate to provide services in response to aeronautical incidents, provide support to maritime incidents, and co-ordinate the aeronautical and maritime SAR system.

The RCAF has a responsibility to maintain a SAR response capable of reaching those in distress anywhere in Canada on a 24/7 basis.

The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade project is valued at up to $1.39 billion.

Leonardo S.p.A. is the CH-149 Cormorant’s original equipment manufacturer, and IMP Aerospace the in-service support contractor.

With this project, the CH-149s will be upgraded to the AW101-612 design which is the helicopter model recently procured by Norway for their search and rescue missions. Using an already established configuration accelerates the project considerably. Training solutions and related infrastructure will also be acquired.

In 2005, CH-149s from the Trenton main operating base were redistributed to Gander, Greenwood, and Comox. With the addition of at least two CH-149s to the fleet, Cormorants will return to Trenton and replace CH-146 Griffons in the SAR role.

CH-149s are currently based at 19 Wing Comox, 9 Wing Gander, and 14 Wing Greenwood.

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SKB
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Re: Merlin helicopters

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