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Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 17 Dec 2020, 16:10
by Lord Jim
I can see Merlin lasting well into the 2030s and maybe beyond. It is a very good platform with plenty of room for future growth. Fleet management is key here and utilising the HC4s for more mundane tasks such as SAR and VERTREP is going to be important.

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 17 Dec 2020, 16:31
by Little J
Here's a daft idea...
Take 14 Wildcats from the Army, give them to the Navy (get them up to HMA.2 but with dipping sonar modification). Freeing up some Merlin's...
Give the Army 10 AW149's (less airframes, but more capable)...
20 more AW149's to the RAF (to replace Puma) until the Future Vertical Whatsit is ready...

Plenty of work for Yeovil (including AW149 build and Wildcat upgrade)
Plenty of Merlin's for Crowsnest and other carrier centric duty's...

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 18 Dec 2020, 10:38
by 90inFIRST
Little J wrote:Here's a daft idea...
Take 14 Wildcats from the Army, give them to the Navy (get them up to HM.2 but with dipping sonar modification). Freeing up some Merlin's...
Give the Army 10 AW149's (less airframes, but more capable)...
20 more AW149's to the RAF (to replace Puma) until the Future Vertical Whatsit is ready...

Plenty of work for Yeovil (including AW149 build and Wildcat upgrade)
Plenty of Merlin's for Crowsnest and other carrier centric duty's...
Isn't HM2 a merlin not a wildcat

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 18 Dec 2020, 10:49
by Little J
AW159 Wildcat HMA.2
AW101 Merlin HMA.2


I missed out the A in the earlier post :oops:

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 18 Dec 2020, 20:02
by Defiance
I thought the Merlin's were just HM.2

Wildcat has extra pop to earn the A

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 18 Dec 2020, 20:09
by Little J
Ok... So i made a pig's ear of all the designations :wtf: :cry: :mrgreen:

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 05 Mar 2021, 14:58
by jonas
written answers 4th March 2021 :- Crowsnest.

https://questions-statements.parliament ... -01/160544

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 05 Mar 2021, 18:40
by serge750
They have got to have at least a couple up & running considering the UK carrier strike carrier group leaves in may?

Will be good to see them on deck as well as the F35 etc

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 05 Mar 2021, 21:27
by cyrilranch
serge750 wrote:They have got to have at least a couple up & running considering the UK carrier strike carrier group leaves in may?

Will be good to see them on deck as well as the F35 etc
There was a picture on twitter last year with a least 3 flying together, so a flight for the QE should be working up by now. :thumbup:

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 06 Mar 2021, 18:26
by serge750
Also the "suggestive" tweet from HMSQE points to a few available :D got posted after my comment so i may of posted in haste.... :lol:

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 24 Mar 2021, 15:19
by Poiuytrewq
Great news!


Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 24 Mar 2021, 16:32
by Lord Jim
I believe they have achieved IOC and think four are destined for the Far East Cruise. Contractors etc. will be aboard to continue trials and certification work during the cruise.

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 24 Mar 2021, 18:57
by SKB


(Navy Lookout) 24th March 2021

More: https://www.navylookout.com/first-crows ... oyal-navy/

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 24 Mar 2021, 19:22
by serge750
Lord Jim wrote:I believe they have achieved IOC and think four are destined for the Far East Cruise. Contractors etc. will be aboard to continue trials and certification work during the cruise.
Are all 4 up and running or are they going to have to fit a merlin HM2 with the "kit" to turn it into a ASAC ? would be good practice to do on the ship as it may need to be done in some circumstances....

Re: Project Crowsnest- status?

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 11:11
by cyrilranch
serge750 wrote:
Lord Jim wrote:I believe they have achieved IOC and think four are destined for the Far East Cruise. Contractors etc. will be aboard to continue trials and certification work during the cruise.
]


Are all 4 up and running or are they going to have to fit a merlin HM2 with the "kit" to turn it into a ASAC ? would be good practice to do on the ship as it may need to be done in some circumstances....
I don't think they will converted from HM2 to ASAC on board ship until they have been fully approved for service which not until 2023.
Just need them up and running and debugged for time being especially for this far east tour.
Which most likely have 3 flying and 1 as backup. Giving a total of 4 aircraft fully fitted long side up to 6 HM2 aircraft.

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 12:47
by Lord Jim
I have also read that any conversion work will only be done at home rather than when deployed, as the ASACs are assigned to a dedicated squadron. So you still get to swap airframes to sustain the fleet, sort of, considering we have insufficient Merlins to go round in ASW in the first place. I thing we need a mid life update for the Wildcat sooner than later to install the same kit as the South Koreans have whilst retaining the anti surface capability and look to the Batch 2 T-26, T-32 and possibly T-83 being given hangers for two Wildcat as against one Merlin.

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 14:16
by donald_of_tokyo
Lord Jim wrote:I have also read that any conversion work will only be done at home rather than when deployed, as the ASACs are assigned to a dedicated squadron. So you still get to swap airframes to sustain the fleet, sort of, considering we have insufficient Merlins to go round in ASW in the first place. I thing we need a mid life update for the Wildcat sooner than later to install the same kit as the South Koreans have whilst retaining the anti surface capability and look to the Batch 2 T-26, T-32 and possibly T-83 being given hangers for two Wildcat as against one Merlin.
Modern large dipping sonar on a small Wildcat looks not good. It will significantly reduce Wildcat flight hours. If adding anything ASW to Wildcat, I think it shall be a sonobuoy dispenser. A Wildcat and a UAV combined, will be able to transpond sonobuoy signals for long period by flying one after another.

In addition, I think the era of USV-ASW tactics will come. Deploying something like iXblue Drix.

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 16:47
by Lord Jim
Sounds great, I was simply looking to expand the airborne ASW capability of the fleet to compensate for the lack of numbers in the Merlin fleet especially when the ASAC birds are taken into consideration. What do you make of the idea of reverting to two Wildcats sized hangers like we had on the T-22s?

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 16:54
by Poiuytrewq
Lord Jim wrote:What do you make of the idea of reverting to two Wildcats sized hangers like we had on the T-22s?
Most Merlin capable hangers can already accommodate 2 Wildcats.

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 25 Mar 2021, 17:07
by Lord Jim
In that case we are sorted, now we just need to modify the Wildcats, maybe we can launch Buoys from the weapons wing?

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 24 Apr 2021, 14:13
by ETH

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 12 May 2021, 08:40
by SW1
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... n-document

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals for the development of innovative technologies to provide novel methods of Early Warning (EW) for maritime operations. Run on behalf of the Royal Navy, this competition aims to develop alternative future concepts for the Airborne Early Warning systems that currently enable deployed capabilities within the Carrier and Littoral Strike Groups.

This capability has historically been delivered by sensors mounted on airborne platforms to increase detection range. However, we are interested in any alternative proposals that could match or exceed these capabilities, particularly for low-level and/or signature-controlled threats. Ultimately, we are seeking a potential successor to the near-term capability, Crowsnest (an EW system fitted to the Merlin Mk2 helicopter), which has a planned out-of-service date of 2029.

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 12 May 2021, 09:01
by ArmChairCivvy
SW1 wrote:a planned out-of-service date of 2029.
So will the period in service be shorter than the tortuous incubation time line?

Someone will surely send a proposal to "go fly a kite", which
- does not need to be housed on the combatant of the LRG (frees that one for quick manoeuvres e.g. in connection with a fast boat threat)
- and for any commando parties sent ashore (or near-shore) can provide an enhanced comms relay, too
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -exercise/

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 12 May 2021, 09:15
by Jdam
Its barley hit initial operational capability and now its got an out of service date :wtf:

Re: Project Crowsnest (RN)

Posted: 12 May 2021, 10:03
by SW1
It’s the OSD for the entire Merlin fleet at present