Defence Procurement at RNAS Yeovilton
- Leonardo will deliver ten of the 25 AW101 Commando Merlins by the end of 2018 under
Phase 2 of the Merlin Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP)
- The AW101 Commando Merlin Mk4 delivers enhanced capability for the Commando
Helicopter Force and benefits from Merlin Mk2 commonality and cockpit technology
RNAS Yeovilton, 25 May 2018 – Guto Bebb MP, Minister for Defence Procurement, announced
the delivery of the first AW101 Commando Merlin Mk4 helicopter during a ceremony held at Royal
Naval Air Station Yeovilton yesterday. The event marks a major milestone for Leonardo’s Merlin
Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP) contract to convert 25 former Royal Air Force Merlin
helicopters to fully marinised amphibious support Commando Merlin helicopters for use by the
UK’s Commando Helicopter Force.
Geoff Munday, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters in the UK, said at the ceremony “The
delivery of the first Commando Merlin marks the culmination of over four years of design,
development and manufacturing effort by Leonardo here in the UK. The result is the world’s most
advanced and capable amphibious support helicopter that can fly faster, further and carry much
more than the now retired Commando Sea King, delivering a greatly enhanced capability to the
Commando Helicopter Force.”
The Commando Merlin Mk4/4A helicopters are fully optimised for ship operations and include
automatic main rotor blade folding and tail fold, an uprated undercarriage and enhanced cabin
safety features. The aircraft are also fitted with the same advanced technology cockpit developed
by Leonardo for the Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 aircraft, giving the UK’s Merlin fleet a common
cockpit featuring five 10” x 8” integrated display units, two touch screen units for controlling the
aircraft’s systems and mission equipment, as well as two cursor control devices to control the
tactical displays.
Leonardo’s electronic warfare experts in Luton have also upgraded the self-protection system on
the new Commando Merlin aircraft to provide optimum security. The previously-federated
Defensive Aids System (DAS) has been integrated with a latest-generation DAS Controller, which
allows the system to rapidly identify hostile weapon systems and initiate appropriate tactics and
countermeasures. By introducing a level of automation and integrating DAS functionality with the
helicopters’ new cockpit display units, pilot workload is reduced. Leonardo already provides
defensive aid suites across the UK Armed Forces’ helicopter fleet and provides Electronic Warfare
Operational Support (EWOS) for all of these platforms, allowing the fleet’s protective systems to be
re-programmed in response to changing battlefield conditions.
The Commando Merlin aircraft will be fully supported through the existing Integrated Merlin
Operational Support (IMOS) contract, which Leonardo has been the prime contractor for since its
inception in 2006. IMOS delivers, through an innovative Leonardo and Ministry of Defence
partnership, improved aircraft availability and significant cost savings for UK taxpayers.
Leonardo has also been contracted to deliver a range of Commando Merlin synthetic training
devices comprising two Flight Training Devices (FTDs), a Flight Navigation Procedures Trainer
(FNPT) and a Rear Crew Trainer (RCT). These will be delivered during 2018 and 2019 and
installed in the dedicated Commando Helicopter Force training facility located at the aircraft’s main
operating base - RNAS Yeovilton. The training devices will enable multi-aircraft and whole crew
training, utilising augmented reality to enhance the training experience for the rear crew.