About the Anti-surface Ship and Submarine Helicopter Merlin ASW

Merlin is designed to operate from both large and small ships' flight decks, in severe weather and high sea states, by day and night. When embarked the aircraft operates primarily from the Auxiliary Oiler (Replenishment), Carrier and Type 23 Frigate but can also embark in other platforms with a capable flight deck. A high level of reliability, serviceability and ease of maintenance are a pre-requisite. The aircraft is therefore configured both structurally and in terms of mission system and cockpit design, to meet the demands of the harsh maritime environment.

Powered by three Rolls Royce Turbomeca gas turbines, the rugged, crashworthy airframe is of modular construction, mainly of aluminiumlithium, aluminum and composites. The rotor system, which is fully folding, benefits from some of the most advanced helicopter aerodynamics in the world.
With a maximum all-up-mass of 14,600 kg, and a top speed of 167 kts, the Merlin can carry four homing torpedoes or depth charges, and has sufficient fuel for a radius of operation of over 200 nautical miles.

Sensors

The medium and low-frequency active dipping sonar is the Flash lightweight folding acoustic sonar from Thales Underwater Systems (formerly Thomson Marconi Sonar). Flash can search to a maximum depth of 2,000ft.

The helicopter is equipped with a Normalier-Garrett mission recorder and two sonobuoy and flare dispensers, together with Chelton sonobuoy homers. The sonobuoys are Difar, Barra, Harp and VLA.

On an anti-submarine warfare active dipping mission over a radius of operation of 50 nautical miles, there is sufficient fuel in the internal fuel tanks to provide 190 minutes on station with a 20-minute fuel reserve.
On an anti-submarine warfare passive sonobouy mission, the helicopter time on station is 210 minutes at a radius of operation of 100 nautical miles, and 90 minutes at a radius of operation 200 nautical miles.

In the anti-ship surveillance and tracking role, Merlin uses its tactical surveillance and over-the-horizon targeting radar to identify the positions of hostile ships and relay the data to the allied command ship. The electronic support measures system is the Kestrel (Royal Navy designation Orange Reaper) from Thales De fence. Using the Kestrel ESM and the BAE Systems Blue Kestrel search radar, the Merlin helicopter is able to search an area of approximately 200,000km² in a single four-hour sortie.