Westland Sea King
The Westland Sea King was a license built version of a Sikorsky helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differed from the American version, with British Rolls-Royce Bristol Gnome engines, along with entirely British made Anti-Submarine Warfare systems and a fully computerised control system. The Westland Sea King was also designed to be tasked with far more wide ranging missions compared to the Sikorsky Sea King.
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2 Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Operational Service 3 Westland Sea King Variants 4 Sea King Statistics 5 See Also |
The first flight of the Westland Sea King, a Mk. 1, took place on the 7th May 1969, with the first production aircraft entering Royal Navy service that same year. The basic ASW Sea King has been upgraded numerous times, becoming the HAS Mk. 2, 5 and 6, the latter of which has been replaced by aruguably, the most advanced ASW helicopter currently in the world, the Westland Merlin.
General History
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One of the most vital variants of the Sea King is the ASaC (Airborne Surveilance and Area Control), formally known as Airborne Early Warning (AEW). The AEW capability had been lost when the Fairey Gannet was withdrawn after the last of the RN's Fleet carriers, HMS Ark Royal, was decommissioned in 1978. The severity of no AEW aircraft was proven with tragic effect during the Falklands War, when a number of warships that could have been saved, if there had been an AEW presence, were lost, resulting in many casualties. The first of this Sea King variant came into operational service in 1985, being deployed by No.849 NAS. The current ASaC Sea King is the Mk. 7, which is deployed on the RN's aircraft carriers.
The Westland version has been exported to Australia, Belgium, Egypt, Germany, India, Norway, Pakistan and Qatar and these long serving helicopters continue to serve all of these nations with distinction. The last Sea King to be built by Westland was at Yeovil in 1990 and the last of the Sea King ASW helicopters was retired in 2003, being replaced by the Westland Merlin. The ASaC or AEW variant is expected to be replaced in time for the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. The types in contention is a Merlin derivative, a V22 Osprey variant or a derivative of the E2C Hawkeye. The HC4 commando variant is also expected to be replaced within the next decade along with SAR variants. An astonishing 330 in total were produced.
The Sea King proved her remarkable versatility and endurance during the Falklands War. It performed many tasks from replenishment to troop transport and Special Forces insertions into the occupied islands. It's use also led to numbers of the Sea King being shot down. Sadly at times, it's crews perished with them. On the 23rd April, a Sea King HC4 was ditched while performing a risky vertical replenisment mission, made the more dangerous with it being done at night while operating from the flagship Hermes. PO Air Crewman Casey tragically drowned.
Another Sea King was lost, again because of ditching into the sea, this time due to a systems malfunction. Fortunately all of the Sea King's crew were rescued. Five days later another Sea King, again from Hermes, crashed into the sea due to an altimeter problem, thankfully all crew were rescued.
One of the most mysterious events of the war occurred on the 17th May, when one Sea King from No.849 NAS landed at Puntas Arenas, Chile and was subsequently destroyed by it's crew. The three crew later gave themselves up. They were returned to the UK and were given gallantry awards for numerous dangerous missions that they had undertaken.
One of the most tragic accidents during the Falklands War came on the 19th May. The helicopter had been transporting SAS troops to HMS Intrepid from Hermes. It was attempting to land on Intrepid, but a thump was heard, and the Sea King dipped and soon afterwards crashed into the sea with a ferocious impact, killing 22 men. An astonishing nine survived this tragic accident, but only by a daring feat of bravery, by jumping out of the Sea King just before the helicopter crashed. Bird feathers were found in the debris of the crash, which appeared to suggest that this horrendous accident was the result of a bird, though recently this possibility is now open to doubt. The SAS lost 18 men in that crash, their highest number of casualties on one day since WWII. The Royal Signals lost one man and sadly the RAF incurred one dead as well.
The Sea Kings during the First Gulf War had a relatively limited role, compared to her wide ranging task during the Falklands War, but it still provided valuable service. It's main roles were air-sea rescue, inter-ship transporting duties and transporting Royal Marines onto any suspect ships that refused to turn around during the enforced embargo on Iraq.
In Gulf War II, Sea Kings from No.849 NAS operated off the flagship of the Royal Navy Task Force Ark Royal. Sea Kings also deployed from HMS Ocean, being opeated by No.845 NAS, as well as Sea King's from No.820 NAS, being operated off RFA Argus.
Tragedy soon struck though early in the war, when two AEW Sea Kings from 849 NAS, operating from Ark Royal, collided with each other on the 22nd March. There were no survivors. Six British and one American died.
The Sea Kings played a vital role during the war, providing once again logistical support, transporting Royal Marines from their off-shore bases on Ark Royal, Ocean and other ships onto land in Kuwait.
The Sea King participated in the UN's intervention in Bosnia, with Sea King's being operated by No.820 NAS, No.845 NAS. The Sea King's from 820 NAS were deployed from Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships Fort Grange and Olwen. They provided logistical support, rather than the ASW role that the Squadron was geared towards, ferrying troops as well as supplies across the Adriatic. They perfomed over 1,400 deck landings, flying in excess of 1,900 hours, simply astonishing achievements. The Sea Kings from 845 NAS performed vital casualty evacuation and other tasks. Their aircraft were hit numerous times, though thankfully no casualties were incurred.
During NATO's intervention in Kosovo, a British led operation, Sea King's from No.814 NAS, operating aboard HMS Ocean and Argus and also on destroyers and frigates. They provided search and rescue, as well as transporting troops and supplies.
Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Operational Service
Falklands War
Gulf War I and II
Balkans
Westland Sea King Variants
Sea King Statistics
See Also
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