Anti-submarine warfare, medium-lift transport, search and rescue and utility helicopter
Type of aircraft
National origin
Italy
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Agusta
Westland Helicopters
AgustaWestland
Finmeccanica
Leonardo S.p.A.[1]
First flight
9 October 1987
Introduction
1999[2]
Status
In service
Primary users
Royal Navy
Royal Air Force (historical)
Italian Navy
Royal Danish Air Force
Produced
1990s–present
Variants
AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant
Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel
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.[3][4] It is manufactured at factories in Yeovil, England, and Vergiate, Italy. Licensed assembly work has also taken place in Japan and the United States.
Prior to 2007, the aircraft had been marketed under the designation EH101. The original designation was EHI 01, from the name given to the Anglo-Italian joint venture—European Helicopter Industries—but a transcription error changed this to EH101.[5] In 2000, Westland Helicopters and Agusta merged to form AgustaWestland, leading to the type's current designation.
The AW101 entered into service in 1999 and has since replaced several older helicopter types, such as the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, performing roles such as medium-sized transport, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and ship-based utility operations. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operates the CH-149 Cormorant variant for air-sea rescue. Another variant, the Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel, was produced to serve in the United States presidential transport fleet before the program was cancelled and the aircraft sold off to Canada for parts. Civil operators use the AW101 for passenger and VIP transportation. The type has been deployed to active combat theatres, such as in support of coalition forces during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.
^"Finmeccanica Approves Merger And Spin-Off Operations For The Implementation of The Divisionalisation Process". Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
^AgustaWestland 2008, p. 1.
^"EH-101 Merlin factsheet". Portuguese Air Force. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
^"Danish Airforce factsheet". Danish Airforce. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
^Brown, D. K.; Moore, George (2012). Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945. Seaforth. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-84832-150-2.
and 22 Related for: AgustaWestland AW101 information
AgustaWestlandAW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland...
subsidiaries (Agusta and Westland Helicopters) to form AgustaWestland, with each holding a 50% share. Finmeccanica acquired GKN's stake in AgustaWestland in 2004...
respectively. Early on, AgustaWestland elected to adopt a glass cockpit incorporating electronics upgrades from the AgustaWestlandAW101 along with various...
by the joint venture is slated to be the AgustaWestland AW119Ke; other types, such as the AgustaWestlandAW101, are likely to follow in the future. During...
aerodynamic characteristics. Subsequent Westland helicopters, such as the record-breaking Lynx and the AgustaWestlandAW101 Merlin, took advantage of BERP rotors...
"James Bond's badass helicopter: the AW101 Skyfall". The Aviationist. Retrieved 19 September 2021. "AgustaWestlandAW101 Helicopter". Bond Lifestyle. 31 October...
which the British aerospace industry has a major role include the AgustaWestlandAW101, AW159, Airbus A220, A320 family, A330, A340, A350, A380, A400M,...
Squadron (330 skvadron), Search and Rescue with Sea King and phasing in AgustaWestlandAW101 helicopters, at Sola Air Station Detachment Banak (detasjement Banak)...
accepting bribes from AgustaWestland in order to win the ₹3.6 billion (US$45 million) Indian contract for the supply of 12 AgustaWestlandAW101 helicopters; these...
additional transport helicopters. In 2009 six replacement AW101 were delivered to the RDAF from AgustaWestland Yeowil and paid for by the UK. In June 2010 the Sikorsky...
landing platform helicopter, accommodating heavy transport helicopters (AgustaWestland UH-101A ASH) and 325 marines (91 more, on option). The Cavour has a...
(NAWSARH) to replace the Westland Sea King Mk.43B of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 2015; other candidates were the AgustaWestlandAW101, Bell Boeing V-22...
Fiat G91, the Aermacchi MB-326, the Piaggio Aero P.166 and the line of Agusta-Bell helicopters. The first supersonic fighters added to the Italian Air...
operates various squadron and aircraft at the airbase, including AgustaWestlandAW101 SAR Queen and Bell 412 helicopters. Rygge AFB houses RNoAFs headquarters...
hydraulic ramp, an enlarged hangar with capacity for up to 2x AugustaWestland Merlin AW101 sized helicopters, directly connected to a full-width mission bay...
Aircraft. Lockheed joined with AgustaWestland, a British and Italian aircraft company, to offer a version of the AgustaWestlandAW101. Sikorsky proposed using...
development and demonstration (SDD) phase. The Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestlandAW101-based US101 bid was given the military designation VH-71 Kestrel...
605". Plane Logger. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024. "Nigerian AW101 makes debut flight". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 23...
reduce damage from dirt and small stones picked up in the vortices. AgustaWestlandAW101 Merlin showing BERP rotor with distinctive blade tip profile C-130J...
Global Information