NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2009 9
NOW this is something you’ve not seen
But on the Merlin there’s been no similar succeeded. guidance system.
before – not on a Merlin at any rate.
counter-measure – until now. A helicopter from 829 NAS – the dedicated And as the word ‘suite’ implies, there’s more to
A flurry of flares scatters over Salisbury Plain
A whole host of experts – Lockheed Martin, Merlin squadron for the Type 23 fleet – was fitted the defences than ‘just’ thwarting heat-seekers.
as tests are carried out on the first Defensive Aids
QinetiQ, the Air Warfare Centre, Agusta-Westland with the new bit of kit in double quick time. The upgrade also includes armoured protection
Suite to be fitted to the RN’s No 1 sub-hunting
and the government’s Defence Science and Fliers from the Aircraft Test and Evaluation from small arms fire for the crew and the more
helicopter.
Technology Laboratories among others – were Centre on Boscombe Down provided the crew vulnerable parts of the airframe.
A DAS is par for the course for Jungly Sea
asked to put their heads together to give Merlin and then it was off to the plain for some trials. Having fired flares in Wiltshire, the trials team
Kings – indeed we’ve carried images in these
a DAS of its own. The flares are the most visible part of the upped sticks and headed to the MOD’s North Sea
pages of the venerable warbirds firing the odd
Oh, and they had to do it before the spring of effort to save the Merlin from being hit by a coast ranges for more thorough tests to ensure
flare or two over the sands of Afghanistan and
2009 so it could be fitted to a Merlin flight due to heat-seeking air-to-air or surface-to-air missile. the suite could detect – and defeat – (mock)
Iraq.
deploy with a Type 23 frigate. Electronic wizardry aboard the helicopter also incoming missiles.
And as you can see from these pictures, they tries to decoy the incoming threat by jamming its Picture: Lt Cdr Toby Crispin, ATEC
MMerlin’erlin’ss suite dr suite dreeamsams
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