Wildcat goes to sea as new helicopter is tested off the South Coast

Fleet Air Arm aircrew have been flying by day and night – latter courtesy of night vision kit – on to and off the deck of the amphibious support ship as they take another important step down the road to introducing the Wildcat to front-line service.

The helicopter will replace the long-serving Lynx as the air power of the Royal Navy’s destroyers, some of her frigates (which also operate the Merlin), and whichever warship or Royal Fleet Auxiliary requires an aircraft for its global mission.

Wildcat has already carried out trials at sea on RFA Argus (its first deck landing) and HMS Iron Duke (first time on a Royal Navy frigate) as test pilots, specialist engineers and technicians noted the helicopter’s flight characteristics to help them set the limits so it can be safely operated at sea by the Fleet Air Arm.

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