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British Navy Crowsnest-equipped Merlins deploy on first carrier voyage

By Jamie Hunter | May 6, 2021

Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 12 seconds.

Three of the U.K. Royal Navy’s newly completed Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control System-configured Merlin Mk2 helicopters embarked aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth harbor on April 27 in preparation for the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment.

The first Crowsnest Merlins entered service in March 2021 with 820 Naval Air Squadron at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Cornwall, and they join the Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to act as airborne guardians during the British carrier’s landmark maiden deployment, which commenced May 1. The Merlin Mk2 Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control (known as ASaC) helicopters will fly high above the carrier group to look over the horizon for possible threats, while the sub-hunter Merlins monitor activity beneath the waves.

The first Merlins with Crowsnest radars entered service in March 2021 with 820 Naval Air Squadron. Jamie Hunter Photo

“This is a proud moment today. A tremendous amount of work has gone into getting us ready for this,” said Cdr. Ian Varley, commanding officer of 820 Naval Air Squadron. “Airborne surveillance and control is a new capability inserted into the existing Merlin HM Mk2 helicopter fleet. We are now embarking that in the carrier strike group, so we can have constant surveillance of the sea and airspace around the ships. This will protect the carrier and her escorts from any potential threat, be that missiles, aircraft or other warships.”

The Merlin Crowsnest variant replaces the Westland WS-61 Sea King ASaC7, which was retired in 2018, and it is a critical component in the re-establishment of British carrier strike. Under a program led by Lockheed Martin, the eight modified Merlins have essentially been retrofitted with the proven “bagged” Searchwater 2000 radar on the side of the cabin, which is teamed with the Cerberus tactical sensor suite, as featured in the Sea King ASaC7s.

A Crownest-equipped Merlin lands on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior off Scotland during May before starting her deployment. Jamie Hunter Photo

The first Merlin to be upgraded with the Crowsnest system conducted its maiden flight in March 2019 at the Leonardo Helicopters site in Yeovil, with the test and modification program completed in time to enable deliveries to 820 NAS in advance of the CSG 21 deployment. “Moving forward now into 2021, we are re-establishing that capability with our new carriers, as we work with our allies on this historic deployment for the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom,” Varley said.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior off Scotland during May before starting her deployment. The task group will visit 40 nations including India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore in a deployment covering 26,000 nautical miles.

In addition to the Merlins, British F-35B Lightnings from No 617 Squadron “Dambusters” and U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs from VMFA-211 “Wake Island Avengers” will also embark the carrier for the deployment.

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