1. 1. AW159 FUTURE LYNX / LYNX WILDCAT MARITIME SURVEILLANCE AND ATTACK HELICOPTER FOR UNITED KINGDOM ARMED FORCES
2. 2. Introduction The Agusta Westland AW159 Future Lynx will be the UK Royal Navy's new maritime surveillance and attack helicopter. The Future Lynx was renamed as the AW159 in April 2009. The UK military Future Lynx is designated the Lynx Wildcat. The Royal Navy Lynx Wildcat will be capable of operating in blue water and littoral environments to provide over-the-horizon targeting for offensive and defensive surface and sub- surface warfare, surface surveillance and search and rescue. Unlike current RN Lynx helicopters, it will also be capable of deployment from smaller vessels. Future Lynx is based on the current production version, the Super Lynx 300, which has an improved airframe and a new engine. Future Lynx has an increased payload and an advanced avionics suite.
3. 3. Features Both service variants of Future Lynx have a common marinised airframe based on the naval Super Lynx 300. New features include the new composite four-bladed tail rotor and low-set symmetric tail plane for improved flying qualities at higher weights, larger cockpit doors for ease of access, larger nose and redesigned rear fuselage to provide more space and easier access to the avionics bays. The helicopter has been designed to allow for growth of the maximum all-up mass (MAUM) of the helicopter during its 30-year life. The in-service date MAUM is 5,790kg but, with incremental upgrades, an out-of-service date MAUM could be up to 6,250kg. The airframe's manufacture includes monolithic machined aluminium panels to reduce the component count and maintenance time. The airframe has a 12,000-hour fatigue life.
4. 4. Avionics Survivability features include crashworthy and armoured crew seating, crashworthy passenger seating, a 'role fit' armoured cabin floor and wire strike protection system. Future Lynx is also equipped with a Smiths Industries integrated health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) for improved safety and reduced cost of ownership. Future Lynx features an advanced integrated avionics suite supplied by Thales UK, including dual digital automatic flight control system, GPS (IGI / INS) navigation system and attitude and heading reference system (AHRS). Smiths Industries is supplying the four 10in x 8in multifunction liquid crystal displays (LCD). The communications system is based on a Thales Avionics secure communications control system (SCCS) fitted on the Lynx HMA.8. The system provides plain and secure voice communication via the VHF/UHF SATURN and HF radios. Naval Lynx Wildcats are equipped with tactical data links.
5. 5. Weapons The Royal Navy Lynx Wildcat is fitted with a new stores management system, carrier and weapons launcher. Weapons options include 12.7mm door-mounted heavy machine guns, 20mm cannon pods, unguided or guided rockets, air-to-surface missiles, torpedoes and depth charges. The navy Lynx Wildcat is equipped with BAE Systems Sting Ray lightweight torpedoes. Future Lynx can also be armed with up to eight anti-surface missiles. FASGW is intended to be effective against corvette, fast attack craft and smaller maritime targets and on coastal 'soft' land targets.
6. 6. Sensors The Royal Navy Future Lynx sensor suite includes the Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems Seaspray 7000E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system. Seaspray 7000E is a multimode I-band radar that provides 360 coverage. Modes include SAR (synthetic aperture radar), ISAR (inverted SAR) and GMTI (ground moving target indicator). The naval Lynx Wildcat is also fitted with an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) active dipping sonar. The countermeasures suite includes Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems helicopter integrated defensive aids system, HIDAS 15, and electronic support measures (ESM).
7. 7. Engine Future Lynx has the same LHTEC CTS800 engines as those already in service on the Super Lynx 300. The two CTS800 engines, each rated at 1,015kW (1,361shp), have 36% more power than the Gem engines on current navy Lynx helicopters but have a similar fuel consumption. The engines are fitted with full authority digital electronic control (FADEC). The CTS800 engines give the Future Lynx improved single-engine and hot-and- high performance. Future Lynx will have an endurance of about three hours with standard fuel and 4.5 hours with auxiliary fuel while being able to carry a payload 50% greater than the Lynx helicopters in service with the navy.
8. 8. References http://www.naval- technology.com/projects/na vy-future-lynx/
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