AgustaWestland EH101

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Image:Canada CH-149 Cormorant.jpg

The AgustaWestland EH101 is a medium-lift helicopter originally developed as a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the UK and Agusta in Italy for military applications but also marketed for civil use.

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Development

In 1977, the UK Ministry of Defence issued a requirement for a new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter to replace the Royal Navy's Westland Sea Kings. Westland responded with a design called the WG.34 that was approved for development. Meanwhile, the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) was also seeking a replacement for its (Agusta-built) Sea Kings, leading Agusta to a series of discussions with Westland about the possibility of a joint development. This culminated in the joint venture being finalised in November 1979 and a new company (EH Industries) being formed to manage the project the following year. EH is an abbreviation for Elicottero Helicopter, incorporating both the English and Italian words for "helicopter." As the design studies progressed, EHI became aware of a broader market for an aircraft with the same broad capabilities required by the British and Italian navies, leading to a more generalised design that could be customised for specific customers and applications. After a lengthy development, the first prototype flew on October 9 1987. EH Industries no longer exists, having been incorporated into the parent when the two companies merged.

The aircraft was manufactured at the AgustaWestland factory in Yeovil.

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Operators

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UK

Image:Westland.eh101.merlin.fairford.arp.jpg The Royal Navy's final order was for 44 ASW machines, originally designated Merlin HAS Mk.1 but soon changed to Merlin HM Mk.1. The first fully operational Merlin was delivered on May 17 1997, entering service on June 2 2000. All aircraft were delivered by the end of 2002.

The Royal Air Force ordered 22 transport helicopters designated Merlin HC3, the first of which entered service on December 11 2000.

The UK is considering the Merlin as a replacement for the Westland Sea King ASaC7 in the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) role.

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Italy

The first Italian Navy production helicopter (M.M.I. 01) was first flown on the 4th October 1999 and it has been officially presented to the Press on the 6th December 1999 at the Agusta factory. The delivery to Italian Navy started at the beginning of 2001. The Italian Government has signed a contract to procure 16 EH101 helicopters that will be delivered to Italian Navy in the following variant: 8 anti-surface and anti-submarine (ASW) aircraft; 4 early-warning (AEW) aircraft; 4 utility aircraft. (see [1])

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Canada

Canada has had a troubled history with the EH101. Following the lead of the UK and Italy, the Canadian government placed a $4.4 billion (CAD) order in 1987 for 48 (later 42) EH101s to replace the Canadian Armed Forces's CH-124 Sea Kings and CH-113 Labradors. These were to be assembled in Canada under the designations CH-148 Petrel (33 originally, reduced to 28) and CH-149 Chimo (15) in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and air/sea search and rescue (SAR) roles respectively. The whole programme was cancelled, however, after a change of government in 1993, leading to the payment of $500 Million in cancellation penalties.

In 1998, the Canadian government announced that the CH-113s would now be replaced by a new search-and-rescue variant of the EH101, carrying the designation CH-149 Cormorant. Unlike the Petrel/Chimo contract, these fifteen aircraft were to be built entirely in Europe. The first two aircraft arrived in Canada in September 2001 and entered service the following year.

The first operational CH-149 flight occurred in 2002 when a Cormorant of 442 Squadron performed a medevac from a merchant ship 200 km offshore in Hecate Strait. An even more dramatic demonstration of Cormorant capabilities occurred in late 2002 when a 103 Squadron CH-149 successfully flew a 1,200 km round-trip rescue mission to a container ship off Newfoundland. Two refuelling stops at the Hibernia oil platform were required.

When it became obvious that the Sea Kings were in need of immediate replacement, the EH101 was again part of a Canadian competition (the Maritime Helicopter Project), versus the Sikorsky H-92, for a total price tag of $5 billion. The Sikorsky entry won the competition on July 23, 2004; it is to be known as the CH-148 Cyclone.

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United States of America

Also in 2001 AgustaWestland signed a deal with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter Textron to market the aircraft in the US under the designation US101. It competed for and won the VIP and "Marine One" Presidential transport roles currently carried out by H-3 Sea King or the smaller UH-60 Black Hawk. The US101 will be built in the United States and fitted with largely American systems and equipment, General Electric turboshafts for example.

On 28 January 2005, the US101 was announced as the winner of the contest to supply the next Marine One helicopter for the transportation of the President and other VIPs. In doing so, it beat the Super Hawk, Sikorsky's contending entry, and became the first non-Sikorsky helicopter to fulfill the Marine One role since 1957. The order is for 23 aircraft, to equip the Marine One squadron, HMX-1. These aircraft will be given the military designation VH71.<ref>A New Presidential Ride, Popular Science</ref>

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Japan

The Tokyo Police became the first civil customer for the type when they purchased a single example in 1998. In 2003, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ordered for 14 aircraft to use in the MCM (Mine Cleaning Mission) and transport role. MCH-101, JMSDF's temporary name, is going to replace MH-53E, for MCM and S-61, for support of the Japanese Antarctic observations.

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Portugal

The Portuguese Air Force acquired <ref>Portuguese Air Force Merlin helicopters enter service, Wikinews</ref> 12 of such aircraft in three different versions: 6 in SAR, 4 in CSAR and 2 in SIFICAP (Fisheries Control) configurations. All versions are NVG capable, the CSAR versions adding a "Defensive Aids Suite" (DAS), weapons carriage and "Air to Air Refueling" (AAR), while the SIFICAP carries the APS-717P radar.

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Others

In 2001 Denmark announced the purchase of the EH101 for SAR duties.

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Specifications (Merlin HM.1)

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External links

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References

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Related content

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