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The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American
Sikorsky S-61 The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the SH-3 Sea King military helicopter. It was developed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The commercial version of the Sea King was developed during the ...
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with
Rolls-Royce Gnome The Rolls-Royce Gnome is a British turboshaft engine originally developed by the de Havilland Engine Company as a licence-built General Electric T58, an American mid-1950s design. The Gnome came to Rolls-Royce after their takeover of Bristol S ...
engines (derived from the US General Electric T58), British-made anti-submarine warfare systems and a fully computerised flight control system. The Sea King was primarily designed for performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions. A Sea King variant known as the Commando was devised by Westland to serve as a troop transport. In British service, the Westland Sea King provided a wide range of services in both the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
and the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
. As well as wartime roles in the Falklands War, the
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, the Bosnian War, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, the Sea King is perhaps most well known in its capacity as a Royal Navy Search and Rescue (red and grey livery) and
RAF Search and Rescue Force The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (SARF or SAR Force) was the Royal Air Force organisation which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands, from 1986 until 201 ...
(yellow livery) helicopter. The Sea King was also adapted to meet the Royal Navy's requirement for a ship-based
airborne early warning Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
platform. On 26 September 2018, the last remaining Sea King variant in Royal Navy service was retired. Most operators have replaced, or are planning to replace, the Sea King with more modern helicopters, such as the NHIndustries NH90 and the
AgustaWestland AW101 The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requireme ...
.
HeliOperations HeliOperations is a British helicopter company based on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, at the old Naval Air Station of RNAS Portland providing training and services. HeliOperations is the last operator of Westland WS-61 Sea King helic ...
continue to operate three Mk 5 Sea Kings, based at RNAS Portland, training German Navy pilots.


Design and development


Origins

Westland Helicopters, which had a long-standing licence agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft to allow it to build Sikorsky's helicopters, extended the agreement to cover the
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft en ...
soon after the Sea King's first flight in 1969.James 1991, pp. 377–378. Westland proceeded to independently develop the Sea King, integrating a significant proportion of components from British suppliers; key changes include the use of a pair of Rolls-Royce Gnome turboshaft engines and the implementation of an automatic
flight control system A conventional fixed-wing aircraft flight control system consists of flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkages, and the necessary operating mechanisms to control an aircraft's direction in flight. Aircraft ...
.McGowen 2005, p. 119. On this matter, authors Jim Thorn and Gerald Frawley stated that: "Despite appearances, Westland's Sea King s avery different aircraft from Sikorsky's". Many of the differences between the Westland-built Sea King and the original helicopter were as a result of differing operational doctrine. While the U.S. Navy Sea Kings were intended to be under tactical control of the carrier from which they operated, the Royal Navy intended its helicopters to be much more autonomous, capable of operating alone, or co-ordinating with other aircraft or surface vessels. This resulted in a different crew arrangement, with operations being controlled by an observer rather than the pilot, as well as fitting a search radar.Lake 1996, pp. 114–115. The
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
selected the Sea King to meet a requirement for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter to replace the Westland Wessex, placing an order with Westland for 60 SH-3D Sea Kings in June 1966.''Air International'' May 1981, p. 215. The prototype and three pre-production aircraft were built by Sikorsky at Stratford, Connecticut and shipped to the United Kingdom to act as trials and pattern aircraft.Howard et al. 2011, pp. 229–230. The first of the SH-3Ds was initially fitted with General Electric T58s and, after being shipped from the United States, was flown in October 1966 from the dockside at Avonmouth to Yeovil airfield. The other three were delivered from the docks, by road to Yeovil, for completion with British systems and Rolls-Royce Gnome engines. The first Westland-built helicopter, designated Sea King HAS1, flew on 7 May 1969 at Yeovil. The first two helicopters were used for trials and evaluation by Westland and the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment; subsequent production Sea Kings were delivered to the Royal Navy's 700 Naval Air Squadron from August 1969 onwards. By 1979, the Royal Navy had ordered 56 HAS1s and 21 HAS2s to meet the anti-submarine requirements, these were also configured for the secondary anti-ship role. The Westland Sea King was updated and adapted for numerous roles, subsequent variants include the ''HAS2'', ''HAS5'' and ''HAS6''. Changes from initial production aircraft included an expansion of the cabin and upgraded engines.


Commando and further developments

One of the most extensively modified variants was the Westland Commando, operated by the Royal Navy as the HC4.McGowen 2005, p. 120. The Commando had capacity for up to 28 fully equipped troops and had originally been developed to meet an Egyptian Air Force requirement.McGowen 2005, pp. 120, 126. Due to the deletion of the amphibious capability, not required in the Egyptian desert, the most noticeable change from the Sea King was the deletion of the side floats, the main undercarriage being carried on stub sponsons. An improved variant of the Egyptian Commando, with changes including the fitting of folding blades common to the ASW variants, was designated as the Sea King HC4 by the Royal Navy and all the aircraft were new build. First flying on 26 September 1979, due to its operational range of up to 600 nautical miles without refuelling, the HC4 'Commando' became an important asset for amphibious warfare and troop transport duties, in particular. Several Royal Naval Air Squadrons have operated the Commando variant, such as 845 Naval Air Squadron,
846 Naval Air Squadron 846 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Naval Air Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter to provide troop transport and load lifting support to ...
and
848 Naval Air Squadron 848 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operated the Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter and previously provided advanced flying training to pilots for the other squadrons in the Commando Helicopter Force. The s ...
. In British service, the Sea King HC4 was deployed on operations in the Falklands, the Balkans, both Gulf Wars, Sierra Leone, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Towards the end of the Sea King's operational life, several HAS6s were repurposed by the removal of the ASW equipment, as troop transports. In 2010, the last of the UK's converted ASW Sea Kings to troop transports were retired.Allen, Peter. "UK RN retires final Commando Sea King Mk 6CR." ''Jane's Defence Weekly,'' Volume 47, Issue 2, 2 June 2010, p. 33. In the 1970s, Westland's experience with the Sea King led the company to conduct the British Experimental Rotor Program (BERP), in coordination with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, which applied innovations in composite materials and new design principles to the helicopter rotor. Initial trials carried out with active Sea Kings found several advantages to the BERP rotor, including a longer
fatigue life In materials science, fatigue is the initiation and propagation of cracks in a material due to cyclic loading. Once a fatigue crack has initiated, it grows a small amount with each loading cycle, typically producing striations on some parts of ...
and improved aerodynamic characteristics. Subsequent Westland helicopters, such as the record-breaking Lynx and the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin, took advantage of BERP rotors for greater performance. Westland equipped later-built Sea Kings with the new composite rotors as well. Westland has produced a total of 330 Sea Kings;McGowen 2005, p. 126. export customers include the Indian Naval Air Arm, the
German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
, the Royal Australian Navy, and the
Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
. The last of the Royal Navy's Sea Kings in the ASW role was retired in 2003, being replaced by the AgustaWestland Merlin HM1. The Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) variant is expected to be replaced around the introduction of the two aircraft carriers.Beedall, Richard
"Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC) (UK MoD)."
''Navy Matters'', 18 May 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
The UK has also planned to retire the HC4 and search and rescue variants in March 2016.


Search and rescue

A dedicated search and rescue (SAR) version, the HAR3, was developed for the
RAF Search and Rescue Force The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (SARF or SAR Force) was the Royal Air Force organisation which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands, from 1986 until 201 ...
. The type entered service in 1978 to replace the Westland Whirlwind HAR.10.Ministry of Defence 2006, p. 120. A 16th helicopter was ordered shortly after, and following the Falklands War of 1982, three more examples were purchased to enable operation of a SAR flight in the islands, initially from Navy Point on the north side of
Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
harbour, and later from RAF Mount Pleasant. In 1992, six further helicopters were ordered to replace the last remaining Westland Wessex helicopters in the SAR role, entering service in 1996. The six Sea King HAR3As featured updated systems, including a digital navigation system and more modern avionics. Westland also manufactured SAR versions of the Sea King for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the German Navy and the Belgian Air Force. On SAR variants, the cabin was enlarged by a stretch of the fuselage behind the door; another key feature, used for additional flotation in the unusual event of a water landing, inflatable buoyancy bags were housed inside the aircraft's sponsons. Upgrades and changes made to SAR Sea Kings include the addition of radar warning receivers, a cargo hook for the underslung carriage of goods, and the redesigning of the cockpit for compatibility with night vision goggles. , up to 12 HAR3/3As were dispersed across the UK, a further two HAR3s were attached to the Falkland Islands, providing 24-hour rescue coverage. Some Royal Navy HAS5 ASW variants were adapted for the SAR role and served with 771 Naval Air Squadron,
Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...
and HMS Gannet SAR Flight at
Prestwick Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport () is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and southwest of Glasgow. It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of ...
in Scotland. , they are expected to remain in service until 2016, being replaced with civilian operated SAR rotorcraft.Carrara 2009, pp. 78–82. Both Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge have flown SAR Sea Kings in front-line roles.


Airborne early warning

The Royal Navy's
airborne early warning Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
(AEW) capability had been lost when the
Fairey Gannet The Fairey Gannet is a carrier-borne aircraft that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed for the Royal Navy, being the first fixed-wing aircraft to combine both the search an ...
aeroplane was withdrawn after the last of the RN's fleet carriers was decommissioned in 1978. During the Falklands War, a number of warships were lost and casualties suffered due to the lack of an AEW platform.Armistead and Armistead 2002, p. 131. The proposed fleet cover by the RAF Shackleton AEW.2 was too unresponsive and at too great a distance to be practical. Consequently, two Sea King HAS2s were modified in 1982 with the addition of the Thorn-EMI ARI 5980/3 Searchwater LAST radar attached to the fuselage on a swivel arm and protected by an inflatable dome. This allowed the radar to be lowered below the fuselage during flight and for it to be raised for landing. These prototypes, designated HAS2(AEW), were both flying within 11 weeks and deployed with 824 "D" Flight on HMS ''Illustrious'', serving in the Falklands after the cessation of hostilities. A further eight HAS2s were modified to a production standard, known as the AEW2. Two remained "fitted for but not with". These entered operational service in 1985, being deployed by
849 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, the Air Arm of the British Royal Navy. It was formed during the Second World War as a carrier based torpedo-bomber, unit, flying missions against Japanese targets in the Far East. Its ...
. Three Sea King HAS5/6s were later converted as part of the ASaC Mk7 programme, bringing the Mk7 fleet to 13; still 3 below the requirement. The upgrade programme resulted in the Sea King AEW fleet being upgraded with a new mission system, Comms, NavAids, JTIDS, Active Noise Reduction and Videographic recording. The Mission System Upgrade (MSU) component (Radar and partial JTIDS integration) was based around the improved Searchwater 2000AEW radar, with an all-new Man-Machine Interface. This MSU component was later termed "Project Cerberus" by Thales, after successful integration was conducted by Westland and GEC-Marconi. This variant was initially referred to as the ''Sea King AEW7'', but renamed ''ASaC7'' just before In Service Date. (Airborne Surveillance and Control Mk.7). The main role of the Sea King ASaC7 is detection of low-flying attack aircraft; it also provides interception/attack control and over-the-horizon targeting for surface-launched weapon systems. In comparison to older versions, the new radar enables the ASaC7 to simultaneously track up to 400 targets, instead of an earlier limit of 250 targets. The effectiveness of the AEW7 was greatly increased via the addition of a
Link 16 Link 16 is a military tactical data link network used by NATO and nations allowed by the MIDS International Program Office (IPO). Its specification is part of the family of Tactical Data Links. With Link 16, military aircraft as well as ship ...
data link, allowing gathered radar information to be analysed and rapidly put to use by multiple allied platforms in range.Armistead and Armistead 2002, pp. 132–134. The ASaC7s would remain in service until are replaced under the "Crowsnest" programme; intended as a podded capability onboard Merlins. Previous proposed replacement programmes, Future Organic Airborne Early Warning (FOAEW) and MASC (Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control) were initiated and then cancelled, due largely to the erroneous assumption that the entire ASaC Mk7 system could simply be lifted and plugged into another aircraft type. However, as a result of the time gap between the planned out of service date of the Sea King in 2016, and the introduction of "Crowsnest" seven Sea King ASaC.7 helicopters remained in service with the RN through to the second half of 2018.


Operational history


United Kingdom


Falklands Conflict

A number of Sea Kings were deployed during the Falklands Conflict. They were transported to the combat zone and operated from the decks of various ships of the Royal Navy, such as the
landing platform dock An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently oper ...
. In the theatre, they performed a wide range of missions, from anti-submarine patrols and reconnaissance flights to replenishment operations and the insertion of special forces. Support provided by the Sea Kings in the form of transport for men and supplies has been viewed as vital to the success of the British operation. Sea Kings also protected the fleet by acting as
decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...
s against incoming
Exocet missile The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...
s, with some missions being flown by Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Anti-Submarine Sea Kings of 820 Naval Air Squadron were embarked in . With 11 HAS.5s, the squadron operated anti-submarine and search and rescue sorties with one helicopter always airborne on surface search duties.Burden et al. 1986, pp. 237–240. On 14 June, an 820 NAS Sea King HAS.5 was used to transport Major General
Jeremy Moore Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore, (5 July 1928 – 15 September 2007) was a British senior Royal Marine officer who served as the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the ...
to Port Stanley to accept the surrender of Argentine troops on the island. The squadron flew 1,650 sorties during the war. ''A'' Flight of 824 Naval Air Squadron embarked two Sea King HAS.2As aboard and were used to move supplies to other ships on the way south and later anti-submarine patrols.Burden et al. 1986, pp. 241–243. ''C'' Flight had three Sea King HAS.2As on board which were used for replenishment duties, supplying over 2,000 tons of stores. 825 Naval Air Squadron was formed for the war with 10 Sea King HAS.2s modified as utility variants to support ground forces.Burden et al. 1986, pp. 244–247. The anti-submarine equipment was removed and the helicopters fitted with troop seats. Two aircraft embarked in '' Queen Elizabeth 2'' and were later used for moving troops from ''QE2'' to other ships, the remainder embarked in ''Atlantic Causeway'' and were used for troop movements around the islands. Embarked in was 826 Naval Air Squadron with nine HAS.5s, which carried out continuous anti-submarine sorties.Burden et al. 1986, pp. 247–250. From the departure of ''Hermes'' from Ascension in April until the Argentine surrender, the squadron operated at least three helicopters airborne continuously for fleet protection. On 23 April 1982, a Sea King HC4 was ditched while performing a risky transfer of supplies to a ship at night, operating from the flagship HMS ''Hermes''. On 12 May, a Sea King operating from ''Hermes'' crashed into the sea due to an
altimeter An altimeter or an altitude meter is an instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. The measurement of altitude is called altimetry, which is related to the term bathymetry, the measurement of depth under water. The m ...
problem; all crew were rescued.Burden et al. 1986, pp. 248–249. On 19 May 1982 a Sea King, in the process of transporting SAS troops to from ''Hermes'', crashed into the sea while attempting to land on ''Intrepid''. Twenty-two men were killed and nine survived. Bird feathers were found in the debris, suggesting a
bird strike A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, bird ingestion (for an engine), bird hit, or bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH)—is a collision between an airborne animal (usually a bird or bat) and a moving vehicle, usually an aircraft. The term ...
, although investigations of the cause of the accident proved to be inconclusive.Burden et al. 1986, p. 253. The SAS lost 18 men in the crash, their highest number of casualties on one day since the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. The
Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...
lost one man and the RAF one man.


Gulf War

During the 1991
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
Sea Kings from several nations, including Canada, Britain, and the U.S., were present in the coalition forces against
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
's Iraq regime. Due to the threat of potential use of any Iraqi
weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natu ...
, it was standard practice for Sea King crews to wear fully enclosed NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protective suits. Britain's Sea Kings primarily engaged in inter-ship transport duties, including ferrying troops between the fleet and land. Six Sea King Mk4 helicopters from 845 Naval Air Squadron and six of 848 Squadron, which had been reformed to meet this operational demand, worked in support of the ground advance. There was thorough radar coverage by U.S. airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft; British AEW Sea Kings were not deployed. Following the end of hostilities, the available Sea Kings remained on deployment in the region to conduct transport missions to relocate people displaced by the conflict to refugee camps and
repatriate Repatriation is the process of returning a thing or a person to its country of origin or citizenship. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as to the pro ...
citizens to their home countries.


Balkans

The Sea King participated in the UN and
NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina The NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a series of actions undertaken by NATO whose stated aim was to establish long-term peace during and after the Bosnian War. NATO's intervention began as largely political and symbolic, but gradu ...
. 845 Naval Air Squadron and their Sea Kings had been dispatched to the region in late 1992 in response to escalating tensions in the region.Ripley 2001, p. 92. They performed various logistical and transport missions, such as the repositioning of
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
L118 Light Gun The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer. It was originally designed and produced in England for the British Army in the 1970s. It has since been widely exported. The L119 and the United States Army's M119 are variants that use a different ...
s in the region and in the evacuation of casualties. In one incident on 24 March 1993, during an attempt to establish an air evacuation route to a UN-declared safe zone, a flight of French
Aérospatiale Puma Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ...
s and Sea King HC4 helicopters were shelled while taking off from an improvised landing zone. Two further Sea Kings arrived to evacuate several UN casualties, managing to fly the wounded to the Bosnian city of
Tuzla Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, e ...
, where they came under further enemy fire while unloading. During NATO's intervention in
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, Sea Kings of 814 Naval Air Squadron, operating from numerous Royal Navy vessels in the Adriatic, including the aircraft carrier HMS ''Invincible'', maintained a patrol of the Balkans' coast. The Sea Kings were also heavily used in the transport role during the preparations for a ground invasion of Kosovo.


2000s

In 2000, Sea King HC.4s of 846 NAS participated in
Operation Palliser The United Kingdom began a military intervention in Sierra Leone on 7 May 2000 under the codename Operation Palliser. Although small numbers of British personnel had been deployed previously, Palliser was the first large-scale intervention by B ...
in Sierra Leone.Howard et al. 2011, p. 274. During the
2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
, multiple Sea King ASaC7 from 849 NAS were operated from HMS ''Ark Royal''. On 22 March 2003, two AEW Sea Kings from 849 NAS operating from ''Ark Royal'' collided over the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
, resulting in the death of seven personnel. A report into the collision called for Sea Kings to be outfitted with night vision goggles, as well as better onboard safety equipment, and recommended changes to procedure regarding the use of radar at night. However, it later transpired that the Board of Inquiry had not been told that the three main contributory factors it reported coincided with the three main areas of degradation between the Mk2 and Mk7. (NVG, Anti-Collision lighting and Interoperability with ships). These had been identified and two contracts let to mitigate the risks had been cancelled by an administrative official. Moreover, in 1994 the RN had rejected the recommendation of the programme manager to retain NVG. In July 2006, Sea King HC.4 helicopters based at
RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...
were temporarily deployed to
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
to assist in Operation Highbrow, the evacuation of British citizens from
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. In October 2011, following several years of service in Afghanistan as troop transports for the
International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...
(ISAF) forces stationed there, the Sea King HC.4s returned to the UK; their replacement is the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin. Between April 2009 and July 2011, the Royal Navy's Sea Kings stationed at Camp Bastion conducted over 1000 operational missions.


Australia

In 1974, Australia purchased 12 Westland Sea King Mk 50s as the Royal Australian Navy's new ASW helicopter; the Sea Kings replaced the aircraft carrier 's complement of Westland Wessex HAS31 in the following year. Early operations were troubled by a series of accidents. Between October 1975 to May 1979, four aircraft were lost in accidents, the primary causes were the loss of oil from the main gearbox. The Australian Sea Kings had similar avionics to that of the Sea King HAS.1, with the same ARI 5995 search radar in a dorsal radome, but had American Bendix AN/AQS-13A dipping sonar instead of the Plessey sonar of the Royal Navy Sea Kings. They also had more powerful engines giving improved high temperature hover performance. Australia's Sea Kings were flown by
817 Squadron RAN 817 Squadron was a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron. It was originally formed as part of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm for service during World War II and took part in combat operations in Norway, North Africa, Sicily and off the ...
from HMAS ''Melbourne'' until the carrier was retired from service, without replacement. As the Sea King was too large to operate from the s, 817 Squadron was then forced to operate from land bases, in both ASW and utility roles, with the Sea King relinquishing the anti-submarine mission in 1990.Lake 1996, pp. 132–133. During the 2003 Iraq War, Sea Kings were heavily used in logistical roles, such as the first delivery of humanitarian aid to the Iraqi capital,
Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
. In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Australian Sea Kings played a major role in disaster relief efforts in Indonesia's Aceh province, delivering medical teams and supplies from Royal Australian Navy ships. Prior to retirement, the last major missions were flown during the
2010–11 Queensland floods 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
, in which Sea Kings provided SAR coverage of the region and delivered aid relief to citizens in the flooded areas.Waldon, Greg
"Australia offers five Sea Kings for sale."
''Flight International'', 1 September 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
The replacement of the Fleet Air Arm's Sea King fleet commenced faster than initially planned following the loss of a Sea King during a humanitarian aid mission in Indonesia in April 2005, resulting in nine deaths. Investigators uncovered serious faults in the condition of the Sea King's mechanical flight control system, resulting from maintenance deficiencies. In May 2007, the six remaining Sea Kings were grounded for two months following the discovery of a number of missing parts.Dodd, Mark
"Sea Kings grounded over safety fears."
''
The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
'', 17 May 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
On 1 September 2011, the Australian Minister for Defence Materiel,
Jason Clare Jason Dean Clare (born 22 March 1972) is an Australian politician serving as Minister for Education since 1 June 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has represented the Division of Blaxland in Western Sydney since 2007 ...
, announced that the Sea Kings would be withdrawn from service in December 2011; having flown in excess of 60,000 hours in operations in Australia and overseas in that time. The farewell flight was conducted on 15 December 2011, three Sea Kings flew over Sydney Harbour and across to Canberra, passing
Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Wal ...
and the Australian War Memorial before landing at
Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in t ...
. On 16 December 2011, the Chief of Navy presided over the ceremonial decommissioning of 817 Squadron RAN at NAS Nowra. Five of the withdrawn helicopters have been made available for sale. The replacement for the Sea King was the MRH 90.


India

Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistan invested heavily in modern submarines and long-range torpedoes. In response, India opted to procure six Westland Sea Kings from Britain in 1969, for ASW duties, designated as Mk42. The purchase also included the provision of air-droppable
homing torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
es for use against submarines. The delivery of the aircraft began a few months before the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
. Due to training shortfalls on the new helicopters, Sea King operations were considerably restricted during the 1971 war; by November 1971, increased aircrew experience had enabled offensive anti-submarine operations to be conducted. The ''Majestic''-class aircraft carrier was also refitted in 1972–1974 to enable extensive Sea King operations, becoming the carrier's primary anti-submarine aircraft. During the early 1960s, India and Britain agreed upon the domestic production of the . The initial helicopter deployed aboard India's ''Leander''s, known as the , was the
Aérospatiale Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III (, ''Lark''; company designations SA 316 and SA 319) is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by French aircraft company Sud Aviation. During its production life, it proved to be a relatively popular r ...
, however, this offered much less capability in the anti-submarine role compared with the Sea King and the need for design changes was realised to allow the Sea King to be deployed upon the flight deck of the ''Nilgiri'' class, a practice pioneered by the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
using their Sikorsky CH-124 Sea Kings on similar-sized frigates.Singh ''Air International'' January 1991, p. 37. It proved unfeasible to operate the Sea King from the unmodified ''Nilgiri'' class, with the last two ships of the class being fitted with an enlarged flight deck and hangar. This required removal of the ship's
Limbo In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
anti-submarine mortar.Baker 1998, p. 325. Beyond the original 1971 procurement, India chose to acquire a further six Mk42s in 1974, and three more in 1980; these three had been specifically modified to operate from the flight deck of the last two ''Nilgiri''s and designated as Mk42A. As a follow-on to the ''Nilgiri''s, India commenced development of a new frigate, based on the ''Leander''/''Nilgiri'', but larger. The resultant , also known as Project 16, could operate two Sea Kings simultaneously. In 1982, India signed a contract to purchase several Mk42B Sea Kings, an upgraded variant to perform dual-purpose: anti-shipping and anti-submarine missions, following a competition for the order against the Aérospatiale Super Puma.Hiranandani 2005, pp. 97–98. These helicopters would operate from the ''Godavari''-class frigates as well as replace the existing Sea Kings. A team of Indian engineers was sent to Britain to help develop the Mk42B's avionics, especially the onboard software. Changes from the older Sea Kings included a brand new avionics suite, the use of composite materials throughout the fuselage and in the rotor blades, as well as the integration of the
Sea Eagle missile The BAe Sea Eagle is a medium weight sea-skimming anti-ship missile designed and built by BAe Dynamics (now MBDA). It is designed to sink or disable ships up to the size of aircraft carriers in the face of jamming and other countermeasures inc ...
, which had been procured from Britain in 1983. Between 1988 and 1992, a total of 20 Mk42B Sea Kings were delivered to the Indian Navy. Six Sea Kings in troop-carrying capacity, designated Mk42C, were also procured in 1987. Although the Indian Navy considered the AEW Sea King, expected to be designated as Mk42D, it was judged to be too expensive, consequently, in 2003, the Russian Kamov Ka-31 was procured instead. The indigenous
HAL Dhruv The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. The helicopter first flew in 1992; however, its development was prolonged due to multiple factors including the Indian Army ...
was the intended replacement for the Sea King in the ASW role, however, in 2000, it was deemed unsuited, as the Indian Navy were dissatisfied with the design's folding blade mechanism and by the Dhruv's maintenance record. In May 1998, the United States enacted sanctions upon India as a part of the international response to a series of nuclear weapons tests by India. , these sanctions effectively grounded India's Sea Kings because India could not purchase any US-supplied spare parts for the fleet. Westland also complied with the sanctions by refusing to maintain any US-made components. A limited number of Sea Kings were kept operational by cannibalising other aircraft and the manufacture of some components by
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the worl ...
(HAL). In December 2000, President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
permitted a relaxation of the sanctions. In the late 2000s, HAL and
AgustaWestland AgustaWestland was an Anglo-Italian helicopter design and manufacturing company, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (now known as Leonardo). It was formed in July 2000 as an Anglo-Italian multinational company, when Finmeccani ...
signed an agreement to jointly maintain and perform upgrades to India's fleet of Sea Kings.


Norway

The Norwegian
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...
owns 12 Mk43B Sea Kings which are operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Forces's 330 Squadron. The aircraft are used for SAR and air ambulance missions and are under the command of the
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Southern Norway or JRCC SN ( no, Hovedredningssentralen i Sør-Norge) is a rescue coordination center located in Sola which is responsible for coordinating major search and rescue (SAR) operations in Norway ...
and Northern Norway. Introduced in May 1973, they were originally stationed at Bodø Main Air Station,
Ørland Main Air Station Ørland Main Air Station (Norwegian: Ørland hovedflystasjon) is situated at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjorden in the municipality of Ørland in Trøndelag county in the center of Norway. Ørland is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and i ...
,
Sola Air Station Sola Air Station ( no, Sola flystasjon) is a base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It is located in Sola municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Rescue Helicopter Service is stationed at Sola along with Helicopter Squadron 330. Also located ...
and Station Group Banak. In 1997, the squadron conducted 237 SAR and 747 air ambulance missions. From 1995 to 1998, one helicopter was stationed at Ålesund Airport, Vigra, and since 1999, one has been stationed at Rygge Air Station.
Florø Airport Florø Airport ( nn, Florø lufthamn, ) is a regional airport serving the town of Florø in Kinn Municipality, in the west central part of Vestland county, Norway. It is situated on the southern shore of the island of Florelandet, adjacent to t ...
became a station for one helicopter from 2009. The helicopters are to be replaced by AgustaWestland AW101 under the Norwegian All-Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter (NAWSARH) programme gradually from September 2020. The candidates for the NAWSARH contract of 10–12 helicopters was the AgustaWestland AW101, NHIndustries NH90,
Eurocopter EC225 The Airbus Helicopters H225 (previously Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma) is a long-range passenger transport helicopter developed by Eurocopter as the next generation of the civilian Super Puma family. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up ...
and Sikorsky S-92."Candidates that passed the Pre-qualification process for delivery of future SAR helicopters for Iceland and Norway."
'' Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police.'' Retrieved: 26 February 2012.
July 2013, AgustaWestland AW101 and Eurocopter (EC225) was short-listed to conduct further discussions for the NAWSARH programme for up to 16 helicopters.


Germany

The German Navy placed an order for 22 Sea King Mk.41s on 20 June 1969 as a replacement for the
Grumman Albatross The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial engined amphibious seaplane that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy (USN), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), primarily as a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft. Origina ...
flying boat in the Search and Rescue Role. This was the first export sale for the Westland Sea King, and was the first dedicated Search and Rescue Sea King variant, with an enlarged cabin and more fuel. The German Sea Kings had similar radar and navigation equipment to the HAS.1, but was not fitted with sonar.James 1991, p. 389. The 22 Sea Kings were delivered between April 1973 and September 1974, equipping ''Marinefliegergeschwader'' 5 (MFG 5) (Naval Air Wing 5). An additional Sea King was delivered in April 1975 to replace one destroyed in a gale. The surviving Sea Kings were upgraded between 1986 and 1988, adding the capability to carry
Sea Skua The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile (ASM) designed for use from helicopters against ships. It was primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx. Although the missile is intended for helicopter use, Kuw ...
anti-ship missiles, which required the addition of a Ferranti Seaspray radar in a nose radome. The 21 remaining Sea Kings are tasked to a variety of roles including SAR, transport, disaster relief, tactical land–sea transport, evacuation, surveillance, reconnaissance and naval support. The main base is
Nordholz Nordholz is a village and a former municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2015 it is part of the municipality Wurster Nordseeküste. It is situated approximately 25 km north of Bremerhaven, and 12 ...
, although units are always stationed at Heligoland Airfield and
Warnemünde (, literally ''Mouth of the Warnow'') is a seaside resort and a district of the city of Rostock in Mecklenburg, Germany. It is located on the Baltic Sea and, as the name implies, at the estuary of the river Warnow. is one of the world's busi ...
, and sometimes at
Borkum Airfield Borkum Airfield (german: Flugplatz Borkum) is an airfield serving Borkum, an island and a municipality in the Leer district in the German state of Lower Saxony. Facilities The airport lies at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one a ...
. The helicopters are scheduled to be replaced by the NH-90.


Others

Egypt is a prolific operator of the Sea King, using many different variants for a wide variety of purposes. In addition to operating ASW Sea Kings for coastal patrols, Egypt procured a land-based transport adapted from the basic Sea King, marketed by Westland as the Commando, including a VIP subvariant.Lake 1996, pp. 133–134.James 1991, p. 392. An electronic warfare version was also deployed by the Egyptian Air Force, featuring sophisticated onboard jamming systems.Lake 1996, p. 135. As of 2011, 23 Sea Kings/Commandos remain in service with Egypt.Hoyle ''Flight International'' 13–19 December 2011, p. 38. The
Qatar Emiri Air Force The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aer ...
also operates Westland's Commando variant, as a standard utility transport for ground forces, a single one was also equipped specially to perform VIP transport duties.Lake 1996, p. 134. A few Qatari Sea Kings serve in an anti-shipping capacity and have been outfitted to carry, and deploy if required, two Exocet anti-ship missiles. Pakistan's Navy took delivery of six ''Mk.45'' Sea Kings, a variant based on the Royal Navy's Sea King HAS.1 from 1975. It served in an combined anti-submarine and anti-ship role, carrying the Exocet missile as an alternative to the normal anti-submarine weapon load of four Mark 44 or Mark 46 torpedoes. One of Pakistan's Sea Kings was lost in an accident in February 1986, and was replaced by an ex-Royal Navy HAS.5, redesignated Mk.45C, in January 1989. The Belgian Air Force ordered five Sea King Mk.48s to perform Search and Rescue missions in 1974, which entered service in 1976.Lake 1996, p. 132. They were upgraded with new rotor blades in 1987–1988,James 1991, p. 394. and with revised avionics, including new radar and provision of a
FLIR Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
turret under the nose from 1995. In 2007 Belgium ordered eight
NH90 The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...
helicopters, of which four were navalised NFH helicopters intended to replace the Sea Kings in the SAR role. Delays in delivery of Belgium's NH90s, together with an increased demand for the NH90s to operate from the
Belgian Navy The Belgian Navy, officially the Belgian Naval Component ( nl, Marinecomponent; french: Composante marine; german: Marinekomponente ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy w ...
's frigates, resulted in the retirement date for the Sea Kings being pushed back to 2018. Three Sea Kings remained operational in 2017.Harding ''Air International'' March 2017, p. 85. Belgian Sea Kings had been carried out over 3300 SAR sorties by the end of 2016, with over 1750 lives saved.Harding ''Air International'' March 2017, p. 87. Belgium retired its last Sea King on 21 March 2019, with a farewell flypas over the Belgian coast. Their SAR role was taken on by four NHIndustries NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopters (NFHs) flying out of Koksijde Air Base near the coast of
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
. RS05 was donated to "Het Vlaams Luchtvaartopleidingscentrum" (VLOC) and performed it's ferry flight on 26/03/2019. Two of the three Belgian Sea Kings were bought by Historic Helicopters of Chard Equestrian, Somerset, which already owned five Westland helicopters that saw service with the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
or the
RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. Both Sea Kings left Koksijde Air Base on 20/10/2021 as OO-SEE (RS02) & OO-KNG (RS04) to the UK. In November 2022, in response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
announced they were donating three former
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
and
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
Sea Kings to
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.


Variants

;Sea King HAS.1 :The first anti-submarine version for the Royal Navy, with Gnome H.1400 engines, a five-bladed tail rotor, a Plessey Type 195 dipping sonar and MEL ARI 5995 search radar in a dorsal radome.Lake 1996, pp. 122–123. The Westland Sea King HAS.1 first flew on 7 May 1969.Lake 1996, p. 122. 56 built, many of which were converted to HAS.2. ;Sea King HAS.2 :Upgraded anti-submarine version for the Royal Navy, based on Australian Mk 50. More powerful Gnome H.1400-1 engines, six bladed tail rotor and upgraded avionics (including new Type 2069 dipping sonar), and improved navigation and communications equipment; 21 new build aircraft plus conversions from HAS.1s.Lake 1996, p. 123. Some were later converted for AEW (Airborne Early Warning) duties. ;Sea King AEW.2 :Conversion of Sea King HAS.1 or HAS.2s into AEW aircraft after lack of AEW cover was revealed during the Falklands War. Fitted with Thorn EMI Searchwater radar in inflatable radome, with sonar removed. Normally flown with three person (pilot and two observers) crew compared with four-person crew for ASW Sea Kings. Nine converted.Lake 1996, pp. 123–124. ;Sea King HAR.3 :Search and rescue version for the Royal Air Force. Fitted with relocated rear cabin bulkhead giving greater cabin length, extra fuel and additional observation windows; 19 built.Lake 1996, p. 124. ;Sea King HAR.3A :Improved search and rescue version of the Sea King HAR.3 for the Royal Air Force. Fitted with upgraded avionics; six built. ;Sea King HC.4 / Westland Commando :Commando assault and utility transport version for the Royal Navy, with simplified undercarriage, and lengthened cabin. Capable of transporting 28 fully equipped troops; 42 built.Lake 1996, p. 125. ;Sea King HC.4X :One aircraft first flown on 10 April 1989 for the
Empire Test Pilots' School The Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type ...
.Howard et al. 2011, p. 278. ;Sea King Mk.4X :Two helicopters based on the HC.4 for trials/test beds at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. Fitted with various nose and/or dorsal sensor installations. ;Sea King HAS.5 :Upgraded anti-submarine warfare version for the Royal Navy, with longer range MEL Super Searcher radar in enlarged dorsal radome, new AQS902 acoustic processing system with provision to use sonobuoys. Entered service in June 1981; 30 new build aircraft plus about 55 converted from earlier versions.Lake 1996, p. 126. Some later converted into the HAR.5 for Search and Rescue. ;Sea King HAR.5 :Conversion of HAS.5 to search and rescue role for the Royal Navy, with ASW equipment removed but retaining Sea Searcher radar.Lake 1996, p. 127. ;Sea King AEW.5 :Four Sea King HAS.5s were converted into AEW helicopters for the Royal Navy.Armistead and Armistead 2002, pp. 131–133. ;Sea King HU.5 :Surplus HAS.5 ASW helicopters converted into utility role for the Royal Navy. ;Sea King HAS.6 :Upgraded anti-submarine warfare version for the Royal Navy. fitted with improved avionics, with new sonar processor, improved tactical displays and better communications equipment; five new build aircraft plus conversions.Lake 1996, pp. 127–128. ;Sea King HAS.6(CR) :Five surplus HAS.6 ASW helicopters converted into the utility role for the Royal Navy. The last of the Royal Navy's HAS.6(CR) helicopters was retired from service with 846 NAS on 31 March 2010. ;Sea King ASaC7 :Upgraded AEW2/5 for the Royal Navy with Searchwater 2000AEW replacing original Searchwater radar. ;Sea King Mk.41 :Search and rescue version of the Sea King HAS.1 for the
German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
, with longer cabin; 23 built, delivered between 1973 and 1975. A total of 20 were upgraded from 1986 onwards with additional Ferranti Seaspray radar in nose and capability to carry four
Sea Skua The Sea Skua is a British lightweight short-range air-to-surface missile (ASM) designed for use from helicopters against ships. It was primarily used by the Royal Navy on the Westland Lynx. Although the missile is intended for helicopter use, Kuw ...
Anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A goo ...
s.Lake 1996, p. 128. ;Sea King Mk.42 :Anti-submarine warfare version of the Sea King HAS.1 for the Indian Navy; 12 built.Lake 1996, pp. 128–129. ;Sea King Mk.42A :Anti-submarine warfare version of the Sea King HAS.2 for the Indian Navy, fitted with haul-down system for operating from small ships; three built.Lake 1996, p. 129. ;Sea King Mk.42B :Multi-purpose version for the Indian Navy, equipped for anti-submarine warfare, with dipping sonar and advanced avionics, and anti-shipping operations, with two Sea Eagle missiles; 21 built (one crashing before delivery). ;Sea King Mk.42C :Search and rescue/utility transport version for the Indian Navy with nose mounted Bendix search radar; six built. ;Sea King Mk.43 :Search and rescue version of the Sea King HAS.1 for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, with lengthened cabin; 10 built.Lake 1996, p. 130. ;Sea King Mk.43A :Uprated version of the Sea King Mk.43 for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, with airframe of Mk.2 but engines of Mk.1; single example built. ;Sea King Mk.43B :Upgraded version of the Sea King Mk.43 for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Upgraded avionics, including MEL Sea Searcher radar in large dorsal radome, weather radar in nose and
FLIR Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
turret under nose. Three new-build plus upgrade of remaining Mk.43 and Mk.43A helicopters. ;Sea King Mk.45 :Anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare version of the Sea King HAS.1 for the Pakistan Navy. Provision for carrying
Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...
anti-ship missile; six built. ;Sea King Mk.45A :One ex-Royal Navy Sea King HAS.5 helicopter was sold to Pakistan as an attrition replacement.Lake 1996, p. 131. ;Sea King Mk.47 :Anti-submarine version of the Sea King HAS.2 for the Egyptian Navy; six built. ;Sea King Mk.48 :Search and rescue version for the Belgian Air Force. Airframe similar to HAS.2 but with extended cabin; five built, delivered 1976. Retired in 2018. ;Sea King Mk.50 :Multi-role version for the Royal Australian Navy, equivalent to (but preceding) HAS.2; 10 built. ;Sea King Mk.50A :Two improved Sea Kings were sold to the Royal Australian Navy as part of a follow-on order in 1981.Lake 1996, p. 133. ;Sea King Mk.50B :Upgraded multi-role version for the Royal Australian Navy. ;Commando Mk.1 :Minimum change assault and utility transport version for the Egyptian Air Force, with lengthened cabin but retaining sponsons with floatation gear; five built. ;Commando Mk.2 :Improved assault and utility transport version for the Egyptian Air Force, fitted with more powerful engines, non-folding rotors and omitting undercarriage sponsons and floatation gear; 17 built. ;Commando Mk.2A :Assault and utility transport version for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, almost identical to Egyptian Mk.2; three built. ;Commando Mk.2B :VIP transport version of Commando Mk.2 for the Egyptian Air Force; two built. ;Commando Mk.2C :VIP transport version of Commando Mk.2A for the Qatar Emiri Air Force; one built. ;Commando Mk.2E :Electronic warfare version for the Egyptian Air Force, fitted with integrated ESM and jamming system, with radomes on side of fuselage; four built. ;Commando Mk.3 :Anti-ship warfare version for the
Qatar Emiri Air Force The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aer ...
, fitted with dorsal radome and capable of carrying two Exocet missiles. Eight built.


Operators

; * Egyptian Air Force ; *
German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
; * Indian Naval Air Arm ; *
Royal Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...
; * Pakistan Navy ; *
HeliOperations HeliOperations is a British helicopter company based on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England, at the old Naval Air Station of RNAS Portland providing training and services. HeliOperations is the last operator of Westland WS-61 Sea King helic ...
– Two operating for the training of German Navy crews ; *
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
– In November 2022, Ukraine were donated three former British Sea King's operated by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
.


Former operators

; * Royal Australian Navy ; *
Belgian Air Component The Belgian Air Component ( nl, Luchtcomponent, french: Composante air) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( nl, Belgische Luchtmacht; french: Force aérienne belg ...
– Retired March 2019 ; *
Qatar Emiri Air Force The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small aer ...
Donated to Pakistan in July 2021. ; *
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
– Retired 2015 *
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
– Retired September 2018


Aircraft on display

;Australia * N16-118 – Sea King Mk 50 on static display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum near
Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in t ...
. ;Belgium * RS01 – Sea King Mk 48 on static display at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. *RS03 – preserved at Koksijde *RS05 – Preserved at Ostend Air College, used as an instructional airframe. *RS02 & RS04 – preserved in flying condition by the Historic Helicopter Group, Somerset ;India * IN504 – Sea King Mk 42 on static display at the HAL Aerospace Museum in
Bangalore, Karnataka Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
. * IN505 – Sea King Mk 42 on static display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Dabolim, Goa. ;United Kingdom * XV677 – Sea King HAS.6 on static display at the
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a Volunteer led museum located at Lakeside in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It occupies the former site of the Royal Air Force Station, RAF Doncaster. The museum occupies the last remaining o ...
in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. * XV712 – Sea King HAS.6 on static display at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artill ...
in
Duxford, Cambridgeshire Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area. History The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of the ...
. * XZ574 – Sea King HAS.5 on static display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset. The aircraft was delivered to the Royal Navy in 1976 and was operated from HMS ''Invincible'' during
Operation Corporate The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland I ...
. During the rescue of the crew from ditched Sea King HC.4 ''ZA311'' on 23 April 1982, the helicopter was flown by HRH Prince Andrew. * XZ585 – Sea King HAR.3 on static display at th
RAF Museum
in London. * XZ592 – Sea King HAR.3 is on static display at Morayvia in
Kinloss, Moray Kinloss may refer to: Places * Kinloss Township, a township in Walsh County, in the State of North Dakota, USA * Kinloss, Scotland, a village in Moray, Scotland * Huron-Kinloss, a township in Bruce County, in Ontario Province, Canada Institution ...
. * XZ593 – Sea King HAR.3 in storage at the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust in
Stanley, Falkland Islands Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a populat ...
. The aircraft was donated to the people of the Islands in 2016 after being retired. It will eventually go on display in a new museum annex. * XZ597 – Sea King HAR.3, restored to flying condition by the Historic Helicopter Group, Somerset * ZA298 – Sea King HC.4 on static display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Somerset. Nicknamed the "King of the Junglies" it is notorious for having survived multiple times heavy combat damage without any fatalities. First in the
Falkland War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
where it was hit by gunfire from an Argentinian
A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed ...
, then during the Bosnian War where it was showered by small-arms fire and finally during the
war in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...
where it suffered a direct hit by an anti-tank RPG.Id. * ZD477 – Sea King HC.4 on static display at East Midlands Aeropark. * ZF122 – Sea King HC.4 – Historic Helicopter Group * ZG822 Sea King HC.4 Commando on static display at South Wales Aviation Museum (SWAM), former
RAF St Athan Ministry of Defence St Athan or MOD St Athan (Welsh: Maes awyr Sain Tathan), formerly known as RAF St Athan, is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. It was the designated site for ...
, near Cardiff


Specifications (Sea King HAS.5)


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography

* Allen, Patrick. ''Sea King''. London: Airlife, 1993. . * Armistead, Leigh and Edwin Armistead. ''Awacs and Hawkeyes: The Complete History of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft''. St Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2002. . * Baker, A.D. ''The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999''. Annapolis, Maryland, US: Naval Institute Press, 1998. . * Bilgrami, S. J. R. ''Dynamics of Sanctions in World Affairs''. Bourne, Lincolnshire, UK: Atlantic Publishers, 2004. . * Bud, Robert and Philip Gummett. ''Cold War, Hot Science: Applied Research in Britain's Defence Laboratories, 1945–1990''. London: NMSI Trading, 2002. . * Burden, Rodney A., Michael A. Draper, Douglas A. Rough, Colin A. Smith and David Wilton. ''Falklands: The Air War''. Twickenham, UK: British Aviation Research Group, 1986. . * Byers, R.B. ''The Denuclearisation of the Oceans''. London: Taylor & Francis, 1986. . * Carrara, Dino. "Sea Kings to the Rescue". '' Air International'', Vol. 77, No. 6, December 2009, pp. 78–82. . * Chant, Christopher. ''Air War in the Falklands 1982''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. . * Chant, Christopher. ''A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware.'' London: Routledge, 1988. . * Chartres, John. ''Westland Sea King: Modern Combat Aircraft 18''. Surrey, UK: Ian Allan, 1984. . * Chesneau, Roger. ''Aeroguide 10: Westland Sea King HAR Mk 3''. Essex, UK: Linewrights, 1985. . * Donald, David., Christopher Chant. ''Air War in the Gulf 1991''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. . * * Ellis, Ken. ''Wrecks & Relics'' 22nd edition. Manchester, UK: Crecy Publishing, 2010. . * Freedman, Lawrence. ''The Official History of the Falklands Campaign: War and diplomacy''. London: Routledge, 2005. . * Fricker, John. "Pakistan's Naval Air Power". ''Air International'', Vol. 40 No. 6. June 1991. pp. 297–301. . * Gibbings, David. ''Sea King: 21 years Service with the Royal Navy''. Yeovilton, Somerset, UK: Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, 1990. . * Gillett, Ross. ''Australia's Armed Forces of the Eighties''. Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia: Child & Henry, 1986. . * Harding, Ian. "Going Strong at 40". ''Air International'', Vol. 92, No. 3, March 2017. pp. 84–87. . * Hewish, Mark. ''Air Forces of the World: An Illustrated Directory of All the World's Military Air Powers''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979. . * Hiranandani, G.M. ''Transition to Eminence: The Indian Navy 1976–1990''. New Delhi, India: Lancer Publishers, 2005. . * Hiranandani, G.M. ''Transition to Guardianship: Indian Navy 1991–2000''. New Delhi, India: Lancer Publishers, 2012. . * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''
Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's old ...
'', Vol 180 no. 5321, 13–19 December 2011. pp. 26–52. . * Howard, Lee, Mick Burrow and Eric Myall. ''Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943''. Staplefield, Sussex, UK:
Air-Britain Air-Britain, traditionally sub-titled "The International Association of Aviation Enthusiasts", is a non-profit aviation society founded in July 1948. As from 2015, it is constituted as a British charitable trust and book publisher. History Air-Brit ...
, 2011. . * James, Derek N. ''Westland Aircraft since 1915''. London: Putnam, 1991. . * Lake, Jon. "Westland Sea King: Variant Briefing". ''World Airpower Journal'', Volume 25, Summer 1996, pp. 110–135. London: Aerospace Publishing. . . * McGowen, Stanley S. ''Helicopters: An Illustrated History of their Impact''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2005. . * Ripley, Tim. ''Conflict in the Balkans, 1991–2000''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. .
''The Royal Air Force Handbook: The Definitive MoD Guide.''
London: Conway, 2006. . * Singh, Pushpindar. "Sealand to Bear-Foxtrot...The History of India's Naval Air Arm: Part Two". ''Air International'', Vol. 40 No. 1, January 1991. pp. 34–44. . * Thorn, Jim and Gerard Frawley. ''International Directory of Military Aircraft 1996–1997.'' Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 1996. . * Uttley, Matthew
''Westland and the British Helicopter Industry, 1945–1960: Licensed Production versus Indigenous Innovation''.
London: Routledge, 2001. . * "Westland's Multi-role Helicopter Family: Omnifarious Sea King". ''Air International'', Vol. 20, No. 5, May 1981, pp. 215–221, 251–252. .


External links


helis.com Section on the Westland Sea KingRoyal Australian Navy Sea KingSea King Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and ControlRoyal Air Force Sea Kings
{{British military aircraft since World War II 1960s British anti-submarine aircraft Anti-submarine helicopters Search and rescue helicopters Amphibious helicopters 1960s British helicopters Sea King Aircraft first flown in 1969 Twin-turbine helicopters