Lynx Wildcat Leaps On Time

AgustaWestland’s AW159 Lynx Wildcat has moved closer to being fully operational. The initial release into service for the British Army model was issued last April and the first operational flight came on June 18. The AW159 is the successor of the Lynx helicopter family although the only major components in common with the earlier Lynx design are the main rotor blades and rotor head.

The program includes the manufacturing of 34 helicopters for the British Army and 28 for the Royal Navy. The UK Ministry of Defence’s intention was to have in service a medium helicopter with improved performance, maximizing endurance and range while increasing sensors and mission payloads. With the new airframe, the AW159’s maximum takeoff weight (mtow) has increased to six metric tons compared to the 5.3 tons of the current SuperLynx, and it has a growth capacity up to 6.25 tons.