12-Aug-2021Source: Leonardo
On 11th August, Leonardo celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Lynx helicopter’s absolute world speed record over the Somerset skyline in England. In the evening of 11th August 1986, a Westland Lynx flew a 15 km course across the Somerset Levels. The aircraft achieved an average speed of 400.87 km/h (249.10 mph), which made it... Read more
29-Jul-2021Source: Leonardo
Leonardo is pleased to announce that the Portuguese Navy has taken delivery of its first upgraded Lynx Mk95A. The aircraft has been delivered to Montijo, Portugal. The Navy has been operating the Lynx for three decades and the modernisation programme will see the upgraded aircraft in-service into the 2030s. The upgraded aircraft provides the Portuguese... Read more
29-Mar-2021Source: Leonardo
As the Lynx helicopter celebrates 50 years since its maiden flight, one family celebrates over 100 years of links to Leonardo in Yeovil. In 1915, the Westland Aircraft Works was founded as a division of Petters, in response to government orders for the construction under initial licence of 12 Short Type 184 seaplanes. It was... Read more
2-Oct-2017Source: Leonardo
Leonardo is pleased to announce the successful maiden flight of the first of eight upgraded Brazilian Navy Super Lynx Mk21B helicopters at its Yeovil facility, in southwest England, on 28th September 2017. The upgraded Lynx helicopters will give Brazil’s Naval Aviation a significant improvement in its capabilities, with much increased aircraft performance and mission effectiveness.... Read more
14-Mar-2017Source: L3 Aviation Products
L3 Aviation Products announced today that the Lynx® NGT-9000 has been selected by Westwind Helicopters as the ADS-B solution for its Bell 407 transport helicopters operating onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico to support oil & gas operations. Installations of the Lynx units are underway, ahead of the 2020 ADS-B mandate. In addition,... Read more
6-Mar-2017Source: UK's Royal Navy
The Sea Skua missile all but wiped out Saddam Hussein’s Navy single-handedly in the first Gulf War in 1991, wrecking 14 enemy ships. But with the Lynx helicopter which carries it, just weeks away from being retired, the missiles were launched for the final time in the middle of the Atlantic as HMS Portland let... Read more
1-Aug-2016Source: Royal Navy
The Royal Navy’s instructors at the Lynx Simulator Facility at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton were recently awarded the Breitling Trophy for achieving the best overall performance during the annual Naval Flying Standards inspection. The inspection was conducted by the office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff – Aviation and Carriers (ACNS-A&C) for... Read more
13-Jul-2016Source: Leonardo
Leonardo announced at Farnborough International Air Show it recently received a contract award notification for the avionics and engine upgrade of five Lynx Mk95 helicopters currently in service with the Portuguese Navy. The contract is expected to be signed in the coming few weeks. Leonardo welcomes this further recognition of the outstanding naval & modern... Read more
8-Jun-2016Source: Royal Navy
The majority of remote Helicopter Landing Sites within the Yeovilton operating area belong to private landowners and are offered for use on a good will basis. These sites are vital to the training carried out by the Commando Helicopter Force and other aviation units to deliver operational capability. In order to maintain and reinforce this... Read more
11-May-2016Source: HeliHub.com
Over the last five years, Algeria has received a significant number of helicopters from AgustaWestland, but the manufacturer goes into complete silence mode when asked how many aircraft have been delivered. No article has been published to date enumerating the extent of this order. HeliHub.com has thus done a significant amount of research in an... Read more
8-Dec-2015Source: Vector
Vector Aerospace (www.vectoraerospace.com), a global independent provider of aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, held a recognition ceremony on Friday 4th December to commemorate the last Depth maintenance event to be completed on a UK Armed Forces Lynx helicopter at the company’s Fleetlands site in Gosport. The event, which recognised the site’s 37-year support... Read more
19-Oct-2015Source: Babcock
Babcock, the UK’s leading engineering support services company, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a five-year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver engineering services to the Royal Navy at air stations in the south west of England. The aviation and engineering support and aircraft services (AESAS) contract includes the... Read more
15-Oct-2015Source: XPO Logistics
Part of Italy’s Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland has its main facilities in Italy, the UK, the USA and Poland, and operates globally through a number of subsidiaries, joint ventures and collaborative programmes with major aerospace and defence companies. AgustaWestland has over 12,850 employees worldwide and revenues of €4.37 billion. AgustaWestland in the UK has a longstanding relationship... Read more
10-Sep-2015Source: Selex ES
Selex ES has received an order from prime contractor Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland to provide a suite of electronic warfare equipment for eight Lynx Mk21A aircraft used by the Brazilian Navy. The company will provide its SAGE electronic support measure (ESM) along with the company’s defensive aid suite (DAS) controller and a third-party countermeasure dispensing system.... Read more
11-May-2015Source: Vector
Vector Aerospace’s world leading position for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the Lynx military helicopter has been further underlined by a programme conducted at the company’s Fleetlands facility in Gosport, Hampshire and the Portuguese Navy Squadron based in Lisbon. The initial project involved one of the Portuguese Mk.95 Lynx, being inducted into Fleetlands for... Read more
29-Apr-2015Source: CAE
The NATO Support Agency (NSPA) has contracted CAE to provide maintenance and support services on theCAE-built Lynx full-mission flight trainer (FMFT) based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Nordholz in Germany. Under terms of the three-year contract, which includes an additional two option years, CAE will provide on-site maintenance services as well as logistics support and visual database development services.... Read more
23-Feb-2015
Emergency landing on golf course... Read more
16-Feb-2015Source: L3
L-3 Aviation Products (L-3 AP) today officially launched its Lynx® MultiLink Surveillance System (MSS) line of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) products. The company also announced that it has submitted for Technical Standard Order (TSO) authorization for the Lynx® NGT-9000, one of several models in the new line. Complete details on the Lynx family of products,... Read more
30-Jan-2015Source: BBC News
he first and last woman to become a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter pilot has received her wings from Prince Andrew. See Full Story... Read more
8-Dec-2014Source: Western Gazette
The man who broke the world speed record for flying a helicopter has died aged 81. See Full Story... Read more
29-Oct-2014Source: Defence Web
The Algerian Navy will soon take delivery of the first of six Super Lynx 300 helicopter following the conclusion of armed flight trials of the first aircraft by AgustaWestland at the company factory in Somerset, United Kingdom. See Full Story... Read more
29-Sep-2014Source: The Helicopter Museum
28 years after setting up a new absolute world speed record for helicopters that is still unbroken ,Westland Lynx G-LYNX at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare has received a prestigious Engineering Heritage Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers(IMechE). Previous recipients have included Concorde,the Mallard locomotive and the Jaguar E- Type. IMechE was originally established... Read more
27-Sep-2014
Precautionary field landing after malfunction on night flight... Read more
14-Jul-2014Source: HeliHub.com
Two key statements sum up the current situation of the investigation of the crash of Army Air Corps Lynx Mk.9A ZF540 on 26th April 2014 20 km south of Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, killing all 3 crew members and the 2 passengers onboard:- The CVR [cockpit voice recorder] offers evidence of controlled flight and no acknowledgement... Read more
3-Jul-2014Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Brazilian Navy’s Naval Aviation has signed a contract for a major midlife upgrade of eight Lynx Mk21A helicopters. The contract, valued in excess of US$160 million (€117 million), includes replacement of the aircraft’s engines with the CTS800-4N product from LHTEC, navigation, displays suite and mission avionics. A comprehensive... Read more
7-May-2014Source: L-3 Wescam
L-3 WESCAM announced today that the Joint British Forces fleet of MX™-10 electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems has successfully logged 10,000 hours onboard the Lynx Mk9A helicopter. Since its deployment in late 2011, the Mk9A and MX-10 pairing has effectively demonstrated full mission capability, leading key Find and Escort roles throughout Afghanistan in support... Read more
26-Apr-2014
Lynx was one of two taking part in air-to-ground gunnery training when it was lost with all on board – named (eg. here) as Capt Thomas Clarke, WO2 Spencer Faulkner and Cpl James Walters of the Army Air Corps died alongside Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan of the Royal Air Force and L/Cpl Oliver Thomas of... Read more
23-Apr-2014Source: Selex ES
Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the signature of a contract with AIROD SDN BHD for the supply and support of equipment for the Government of Malaysia, Royal Malaysian Navy Super Lynx MK100 helicopter. YBhg Colonel Dato’ Mohammed Selamat bin Bakin RMAF (R), CEO of AIROD, signed the contract with Barry Anstey,... Read more
14-Nov-2013Source: Vector Aerospace
Vector Aerospace UK announced today that it has been awarded an extension to the Lynx Aircraft and Component Servicing , Repair and Overhaul contract by the Ministry of Defence. The announcement, which will secure Lynx depth maintenance at the site, has rewarded the company’s commitment to the strengthening of relationships with its customers by offering... Read more
21-Jun-2013Source: Selex ES
Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company, has been awarded a contract worth €5 Million (£4.2 Million) by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence to supply a number of Titan 385ES-HD turrets for German Navy (Deutsche Marine) Sea Lynx Mk88A helicopters. The Titan 385ES-HD (Enhanced Stability-High Definition) turrets will allow German Navy pilots to see their environment clearly... Read more
13-Jun-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Here in the HeliHub.com office, we’ve been wondering how Eurocopter have decided that the X3 speed is an “unofficial speed record”. What are they measuring it against? Who have they beaten? What makes it a record? The Eurocopter X3 is a hybrid aircraft which has vertical lift and hover capability, but features two massive tractor... Read more
22-May-2013Source: CAE
CAE announced today at the International Training and Education Conference (ITEC), Europe’s leading showcase for military simulation and training, that the Royal Navy’s Lynx Mk8 full-mission simulator located at Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton is now in-service and ready-for-training following a major visual system upgrade. The visual system upgrade, which included the addition of... Read more
21-May-2013Source: CAE
On the eve of the International Training and Education Conference (ITEC), Europe’s leading showcase for military simulation and training, CAE announced that the Portuguese Navy recently completed 20,000 incident-free flight hours for its fleet of Lynx Mk95 helicopters. The Portuguese Navy has been training its Lynx helicopter pilots for the past 19 years at the... Read more
22-Apr-2013Source: Helicopter Museum
The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare received a very special guest this week when World Speed Record Holder Trevor Egginton visited the museum to give a unique talk to members of the Empire Test Pilots School in the museums lecture facilities. Piloting the Lynx helicopter, registered G-LYNX, he flew a 15km course across the Somerset Levels... Read more
11-Mar-2013Source: Royal Navy
A dozen-strong team from 217 Flight – observer/flight commander Lt Mike Curd, pilot Lt Chris Southworth, senior maintenance rating CPO Matthew ‘Cakey’ Eccles and seven technicians, plus two Royal Marines snipers – return to base at RNAS Yeovilton just before mid-day on Friday (8 March). The highlight of the deployment – for the ship and... Read more
6-Mar-2013Source: APPH
APPH, a BBA Aviation company, has been selected by AgustaWestland to supply landing gear for the Super Lynx 300 and AW159 helicopters. AgustaWestland recently announced its first export order for the AW159 from South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), initially for eight aircraft. This order is in addition to 62 aircraft under contract to... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: UK MoD
After a gruelling month-long training package in the hot and arid deserts of Arizona, 847 Naval Air Squadron personnel, along with their Lynx Mk9A aircraft, have made the 6,000-mile (9,700km) return journey to RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. Why did 847 Naval Air Squadron go all the way to the US Naval Air Facility at El... Read more
13-Nov-2012Source: Royal Navy
THE first Royal Navy Lynx helicopter to join a French frigate on a full counter-piracy deployment has arrived on board the ship in Toulon. As part of the initiative for the UK and French armed forces to work more closely together, the Lynx Mark 8 aircraft from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton will deploy with... Read more
7-Nov-2012
Helicopter suffered engine failure and made a controlled emergency landing on Royal Danish Navy ship Iver Huitfeldt – pennant number F361. Both engines have been replaced... Read more
22-Oct-2012Source: Royal Navy
The helicopter from 217 Flight (a flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron), headed up by Flight Commander Lieutenant Mike Curd, will join FLF Surcouf at her base in Toulon on Monday for a four-week training period. In November they will then deploy on Op Atalanta for four months as part of an initiative for the... Read more
4-Jul-2012Source: Rotorspot
The Netherlands military have today reported that their Navy SH-14D Lynx helicopter (serial 277) that was abandoned on the beach of the Lybian city of Sirte in February 2011, is back in the Netherlands. The helicopter was used last year in an unsuccessful evacuation attempt from Hr.Ms. Tromp frigate. The three crew members were held... Read more
30-May-2012Source: Thales
Thales has been successfully selected by the South African Department of Defence, South African Air Force and ARMSCOR (Armaments Corporation of South Africa Ltd) for a five years Through Life Support [TLS] of all Thales avionics equipment on-board several fleets of aircrafts. Under the terms of the multi-year contract signed with Armscor, Thales will support... Read more
17-May-2012Source: Royal Navy
Validation’s what you need… if you want to be the best Naval helicopter display team in the land. The head of the Fleet Arm Arm watches the Black Cats put on their final practice display before he gives the seal of approval to their 2012 season. Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff... Read more
3-May-2012
Lynx XZ720 shot up or sank five Iraqi warships in three days in January 1991 – and also came through machine-gun fire in the Falklands. The five tallies painted on the cabin door show that this Lynx has seen some action. It is, for this is one of the most battle-hardened helicopters in recent Royal... Read more
9-Apr-2012Source: Thales
Thales has been awarded a contract by the Service Industriel de l’Aéronautique (SIAé), France’s military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul service, to supply stand-alone GPS receivers for the French Navy’s Lynx helicopters, which are currently being upgraded by the French defence procurement agency (DGA). Thales’s GNSS 1000-S receiver relies on SAASM (Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module)... Read more
14-Mar-2012Source: Flightglobal
Seventeen aircraft from the UK’s Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) are taking part in a major pre-deployment exercise on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, providing support for British land forces due to begin operations in Afghanistan during April. (see full story)... Read more
23-Dec-2011Source: Royal Navy
Being guided down on to the flight deck of HMS Iron Duke, this is the first appearance of the Fleet Air Arm’s next-generation helicopter on the back of a Royal Navy warship. On a very wet December day, a Wildcat landed aboard the frigate in Portsmouth Harbour for three days of trials in and out... Read more
16-Dec-2011Source: AgustaWestland
A ceremony was held today at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility to mark the completion of the Lynx Mk9A programme and the scheduled delivery of the 22nd and final Lynx AH Mk9A helicopter to the British Army Air Corps in December 2011. The twenty-two aircraft programme was the result of Urgent Operational Requirement contracts placed in November... Read more
15-Dec-2011Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-16186665
AgustaWestland said it was withdrawing the Lynx and Sea King work from Vector Aerospace’s Almondbank site so it could bring the work in-house at their Yeovil plant by April 2012. (see full story)... Read more
1-Dec-2011
Very heavy landing in ploughed field. Skids collapsed, post crash fire, all three POB safe... Read more
27-Oct-2011Source: GAPAN
The Prince Philip Helicopter Rescue Award will be presented to the crew of a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter from HMS Chatham for the successful rescue in May last year of 23 crew from the container ship ‘MV Dubai Moon’ in the Northern Indian Ocean. Caught in a tropical cylone, the merchant ship was rolling heavily... Read more
26-Oct-2011Source: Royal Navy
We opened our 2011 display season at the Duxford Spring air show in May, so it is fitting to end at the same venue. Nearby residents of Duxford airfield will agree that we disturbed a wonderfully peaceful autumnal Sunday afternoon with our distinctive slapping blades and high-pitched gas-turbine engines, but we’re sure that the spectators... Read more
20-Sep-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Following the accident suffered in Greenland in August, the Royal Danish Air Force have signed the Lynx helicopter off to fly again. The investigation into the accident example found a tail rotor drive shaft failure, as announced by Colonel Karsten Schultz, chairman of the Defence Air Accident Investigation Commission. Each aircraft in the fleet will... Read more
14-Sep-2011Source: Royal Navy
A Lynx helicopter flight commander embarked on Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring has achieved 6,000 hours of helicopter flight. Fleet Air Arm Lieutenant Commander Joe Harper clocked up his six-thousandth helicopter flying hour whilst taking off at night from HMS Daring’s flight deck. The 6,000 hours have been achieved during 32 years of constant service... Read more
22-Aug-2011
On approach to Danish naval ship HVIDBJØRNEN in Grønnedal Harbour, the helicopter made an emergency landing in the water. Three crew and two passengers all safe. Helicopter was saved by deployment of its emergency floats... Read more
27-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
A Westland Lynx has recently been put on display outside Portland Marina, on the UK’s south coast. Previously the site of Royal Naval Air Station HMS Osprey, the Marina will be the venue for the sailing events of the London Olympics in 2012. At an event hosted by marina owners Dean and Reddyhoff, the helicopter... Read more
4-Jul-2011Source: HeliHub.com
From Friday 1st July, full responsibility for SAR work in the Netherlands passed from 860 Sqn in the Navy to 303 Sqn in the Air Force. 860 Squadron has operated Westland Lynx helicopters in this role since the late 1970s, when they superceded Wasps. The Lynx helicopters will continue with 860 Squadron in other roles,... Read more
23-Jun-2011Source: HeliHub.com
On June 16, 2011, the French Navy’s 34F squadron celebrated its 100,000 flight hours on Alouette III and Lynx at Lanvéoc-Poulmic base. Present were pilots, crew members, technicians, past and present – to celebrate this important event with nearly 13,000 flight hours performed on Alouette III and 87,000 on Lynx . Vice Admiral Olivier de... Read more
22-Jun-2011Source: The Helicopter Museum
The World’s Fastest Helicopter returns to The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare in July, following a four year restoration to its original 1986 World Speed Record configuration by Apprentices at the AgustaWestland factory in Yeovil, Somerset. This August marks the 25th Anniversary of the Lynx helicopter setting up the new record at an average 400.87kmph (249.1mph). ... Read more
30-May-2011Source: Royal Navy
The award-winning Black Cats – the Royal Navy’s official helicopter display team – have been given the go-ahead for the 2011 air show season. The display contains two helicopters flying close, fast passes, dramatic synchronised manoeuvres and close-formation in rearwards flight. Since announcing the 2011 display programme in March, the Black Cats have been busy... Read more
22-Mar-2011Source: HeliHub.com
An Ilyushin II-76 transport plane took off from Leeuwarden Air Base yesterday towards Djibouti. On board was a replacement Lynx helicopter for the Netherlands Navy frigate Hr. Ms. Tromp. The previous helicopter for this naval ship was captured in Libya on 27th February along with its crew of three, when they were attempting to evacuate... Read more
22-Mar-2011Source: Royal Navy
The Royal Navy helicopter display team, the Black Cats, have announced their 2011 season. Following on from a very successful 2010 season, the 2011 programme for RNAS Yeovilton-based team, is shaping up to be just as exciting. Lt Chris Chambers, last year’s No 2 Black Cat Pilot, has assumed the role as the Lead Pilot... Read more
12-Mar-2011Source: HeliHub.com
Following our article Libya Crisis – Three Dutch soldiers and one Lynx captured, we can now advise that the three members of the Dutch military have been released and are already in the Greek capital Athens en route home. Defense Minister Hans Hillen: “We are very pleased. Our people are safe, what a wonderful news.”... Read more
4-Mar-2011Source: HeliHub.com
The Dutch military have announced that the three of their soldiers have been captured by Libyan Government troops – the action taking place last Sunday and not broadcast until yesterday. The Lynx was operating from the Dutch Navy ship Tromp, landing in Libya to evacuate two people who were being held against their will. However,... Read more
28-Jan-2011Source: Flightglobal
Exercise involving Army Air Corps Lynx, RAF Merlin and Chinooks as well as Royal Navy Sea Kings – in view of operations starting in Afghanistan in April. This major pre-deployment exercise is being held on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire... Read more
24-Jan-2011Source: BBC
Cdr Louis Wilson-Chalon, 44, from Yeovil, will now be in charge of 815 Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton. Mr Wilson-Chalon was inspired by his father who was a flight test engineer that helped to build the Lynx helicopter at Westland’s Yeovil factory more than 40 years ago.... Read more
20-Jan-2011Source: CAE
CAE today announced it has been awarded a series of military contracts for the defence forces of more than 12 countries valued at more than C$140 million. Among the contracts are: the design and manufacture of a C-130J weapon systems trainer and other training devices for Lockheed Martin; a contract from Boeing Training Systems and... Read more
11-Jan-2011Source: Danish military
[electronic translation of Danish press release] The transfer of 723 Squadron, a former Navy Helicopter Service, from Navy to Air Force on Friday marked with gatherings and speeches of the two defense commanders “I have been and remain a highly effective and valued instrument, not just for the Navy, not only for defense but for... Read more
22-Nov-2010Source: BAE Systems
BAE Systems has delivered the first order of a new helmet-mounted optical sighting system to the Royal Navy, addressing a mission-critical need for increased air door gunner situational awareness on helicopters. BAE Systems, prime contractor for the Lynx PT, earlier this month delivered 12 Q-Sightâ„¢ Gunner Remote Sighting Systems (GRSS) that are qualified for use... Read more
3-Jun-2010Source: Royal Navy
212 Flight from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton, is normally associated with the Ice Patrol Ship HMS Endurance, but for the last two months the crew and two Mark 3 Lynx Maritime Attack helicopters have been embarked in HMS Ark Royal, conducting the Helicopter Delivery Service (HDS) in addition to planned attack... Read more
26-May-2010
The Black cats kicked off their season for 2010 at the Duxford Spring Air Show in Cambridgeshire. As this was the first event of the season, hopes were high that the weather would hold and the display would flow. Luckily both did! The crowds had already gathered to see the various visitors turn up on... Read more
26-May-2010Source: UK MoD
Upgraded Army Lynx Mk9A helicopters have arrived for use in Afghanistan after being shipped from the UK, and are already being put to good use. The Lynx Mk9As, with their increased fire power, more powerful engines, and the ability to operate all year in the harsh ‘hot and high’ Afghan environment, have increased the total... Read more