Related Research Articles
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five RN fighting arms. As of 2023 it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the F-35 Lightning II carrier-based stealth fighter jointly with the Royal Air Force.
The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engines.
The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34. It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft. One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine. Early models were powered by a single Napier Gazelle engine, while later builds used a pair of de Havilland Gnome engines.
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirements for a modern naval utility helicopter. Several operators, including the armed forces of Britain, Denmark, and Portugal, use the name Merlin for their AW101 aircraft. It is manufactured at factories in Yeovil, England, and Vergiate, Italy. Licensed assembly work has also taken place in Japan and the United States.
AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica. It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccanica and GKN merged their respective helicopter subsidiaries to form AgustaWestland, with each holding a 50% share. Finmeccanica acquired GKN's stake in AgustaWestland in 2004.
The Eurocopter, later Airbus HelicoptersAS565 Panther is the military version of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin medium-weight multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter. The Panther is used for a wide range of military roles, including combat assault, fire support, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and medical evacuation.
Future planning of the Royal Navy's capabilities is set through periodic Defence Reviews carried out by the British Government.
The PZL SW-4 Puszczyk is a Polish light single-engine multipurpose helicopter manufactured by PZL-Świdnik. Following a protracted development, the SW-4 entered service in 2002, the primary operator of the type has been the Polish Armed Forces. The SW-4 was further developed by PZL-Świdnik and corporate parent AgustaWestland into an optionally piloted vehicle, the SW-4 Solo. From 2016 onwards, the type has been marketed to civil operators as the AW009, while the SW-4 designation is used for the military market.
The Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) is a manufacturer of aircraft, principally advanced rotorcraft. It was founded by American vertical flight pioneer Frank Piasecki to develop compound helicopters and other advanced rotorcraft after he was ousted from the leadership of his first company, Piasecki Helicopter.
700 Naval Air Squadron is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Maritime Unmanned Air System squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). Known as 700X Naval Air Squadron, where the 'X' is used to designate 'experimental', it is currently the Royal Navy's Remotely-piloted air systems (RPAS) or 'drone' expert unit.
The Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) is a medium-lift helicopter currently under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Armed Forces. It is designed for multiple roles, air assault, air-attack, anti-submarine, anti-surface, military transport and VIP transport roles. IMRH is aimed to replace all the current Mil Mi-17 and Mil Mi-8 helicopters across the Indian Armed Forces.
The AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat is a military helicopter, developed by the British-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, and later marketed by the Italian aerospace company Leonardo. It is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx designed to serve in the battlefield utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), utility, command and control, and troop transport duties.
HAL RUAV-200 is an unmanned rotorcraft project being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Army and the Indian Navy.
The Kopter AW09, rebranded in Leonardo AW09, is the Leonardo small civil helicopter division's five-to-eight seat, single-engine multirole helicopter which is currently under development at Kopter’s facilities. It is a clean-sheet design amongst a market sector dominated by decades-old airframe designs.
744 Naval Air Squadron is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was originally established in 1943 in Nova Scotia and has undergone various re-designations and reformations throughout its history. The squadron has transitioned from early air gunner training to anti-submarine warfare and trials, and in 2018, it reformed at MoD Boscombe Down as the Mission Systems and Armament Test and Evaluation Squadron. Now, in 2024, 744 Naval Air Squadron is taking on the new role of Joint Uncrewed Air System Test and Evaluation Squadron, leading the Ministry of Defence's efforts in UAS testing and evaluation.
The Leonardo Helicopters AW249 Fenice is an attack helicopter project under development by the Italian firm Leonardo.
The Leonardo Next-Generation Civil Tiltrotor is a tiltrotor aircraft demonstrator designed and developed by the Italian aerospace company Leonardo S.p.A. Studies for a two times larger tiltrotor than the AgustaWestland AW609 started in 2000. Since 2014, its development is sponsored by the European Union's Clean Sky 2 program. By May 2021, major components were under production By 2023, the maiden flight had been pushed back to 2024, from a 2020 initial plan.
Project Vixen is the name of a Royal Navy programme examining the use of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from its two aircraft carriers. The project likely draws its name from the de Havilland Sea Vixen, notable for being the Royal Navy's first two-seat carrier-based aircraft capable of supersonic flight. The project is part of the navy's wider Future Maritime Aviation Force (FMAF) strategy to increase the use of uncrewed systems.
Malloy Aeronautics is a British company which specialises in the research and development of heavy lift vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Based in Maidenhead, England, the company was founded in 2013 by Chris Malloy and has activities in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. Its products include the T-series of heavy lift drones, which are primarily designed for logistics purposes, for private, commercial, military and government use. In the United States, its products are sold in partnership with SURVICE Engineering. In February 2024, the company was acquired by BAE Systems and merged into its FalconWorks division.
References
- ↑ Stevenson, Beth (13 August 2013). "AUVSI 2013: Royal Navy selects AgustaWestland for RWUAS" . Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Polish SW-4 Solo to Assist Royal Navy Rotary-Wing UAS (RWUAS) Study". sUAS News. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Overview of military drones used by the UK armed forces" (PDF). House of Commons. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Rotary Wing uncrewed Air System: Leonardo & UK MoD launch Phase 2 of the (RWUAS) Demonstrator Programme". Leonardo. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "The future of UK uncrewed military VTOL technology is secure onshore as MOD gives green light to Leonardo for "Proteus" demonstration flight". Leonardo. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Leonardo unveils British Navy Proteus rotary wing UAS final design". Breaking Defense. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Leonardo Unveils AW09-Inspired Proteus UAS Demonstrator". Aviation Week . 7 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ↑ "Ultra-futuristic 'uncrewed' aircraft to be built in Somerset by Leonardo Helicopters". Somerset Live. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2025.