Safran continues to support UK Merlin helicopters
The AW101 Merlin, an evolution of the EH101, is a three-engine heavy helicopter. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
The new engine support contract could be extended until 2040 to match the AW101 Merlin helicopter’s retirement date.
Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a new contract with the UK MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) agency for the continued support of RTM322 engines used on the Royal Navy’s (RN) fleet of 55 AW101 Merlin helicopters.
The contract will run for six years, starting this month, with options to extend the support through to Merlin’s out-of-service date of 2040. Safran said the effort would build on the previous 11 years of support arrangement, focusing on maximising engine availability and mission success.
Running from the Safran Helicopter Engines facility in Fareham, UK, the service will provide engine maintenance, technical advice and logistic support for RN operational units.
The AW101, an evolution of the EH101, is a three-engine, heavy helicopter that meets both civil and military mission requirements. It is equipped with a low-workload, NVG-compatible glass cockpit and fully integrated communications, navigation, avionics and flight and mission management systems.
With the largest cabin in its class, the Merlin can carry up to 38 “lightly equipped troops” and can be arranged in various configurations to meet customer requirements.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![General Atomics’ MQ-9B passes full-scale second lifetime fatigue test]()
General Atomics’ MQ-9B passes full-scale second lifetime fatigue test
The MQ-9B is General Atomics' most advanced remotely piloted aircraft. The fatigue test was the second of three lifetimes of testing for the aircraft, the equivalent of 80,000 hours.
-
![AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload]()
AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload
Leonardo’s BriteStorm payload has been designed to be flown forward of aircraft to deceive ground forces.
-
![‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace]()
‘Never done before’: tiltrotor technology and the future battlespace
In conversation... Bell's Frank Lazzara talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the potential of tiltrotor designs to revolutionize U.S. Army maneuver operations, and how the technology could transform other mission sets across DoD and international armed services.
-
![Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives]()
Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives
Italy’s ELT Group involvement in airborne electronic warfare initiatives, including developing systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon and future sixth-generation combat aircraft, has been focused on integrated sensing, non-kinetic effects and communications.
-
![Horizon Aircraft promotes military use case for Cavorite X7 eVTOL]()
Horizon Aircraft promotes military use case for Cavorite X7 eVTOL
The Cavorite X7 is being promoted to serve three key military operational use-cases: ISR, medical evacuation and insertion/extraction.
