Sailors have a multi-million-pound new coach to suit the newest weaponry to Wildcat helicopters. The Weapons Loading System Coach put in at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset prepares crews to ‘device up’ Wildcat with new Martlet and Sea Venom missiles, plus Sting Ray torpedoes. The light-weight Martlet is the primary of two next-generation air-to-surface missiles for the Fleet Air Arm, designed to take out small, gentle, fast-moving craft similar to speedboats and jet skis. Martlet is more and more making its presence felt on the front-line; the missile was fired throughout final yr’s Service Strike Group to the Pacific and, extra not too long ago, towards the hulk of former US Navy frigate Boone, throughout a take a look at of the newest naval weaponry within the North Atlantic. The heavier, bigger Sea Venom – due in service in a few years’ time – is meant to disable main warships.

To make sure crews can put together each weapons – alongside the prevailing Sting Ray torpedo – there may be now a reproduction Wildcat particularly for loading/attaching weapons, full with working techniques to inform crews in the event that they’ve made a mistake – or for instructors to simulate errors and faults. Each new missiles are significantly easier to suit to a helicopter than the Fleet Air Arm’s final air-to-surface weapon, Sea Skua, which required a number of preparations. That mentioned, it’s not like, say merely plugging in a USB stick. The weapons wings alone which carry the missiles or Sting Ray torpedo are heavy – every one takes 4 sailors to elevate – and filled with cabling, wires, hydraulics and tech both feeding information to the weapons or as a part of their launch mechanisms.

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“I reckon as soon as we now have acquired by way of the coaching, we’ll have one thing which is actually fairly slick. The entire set-up is incredible – like coping with an actual plane,” mentioned Chief Petty Officer Kristoffer Martin, Senior Upkeep Ranking (SMR), of 815 Naval Air Squadron’s Rascal 1 Flight.

“It’s a fantastic asset – and it has significantly enhanced our coaching. When Flights transfer on to work on a stay plane, they’ve seen it earlier than. It fills them with confidence. It’s a fantastic asset – and it has significantly enhanced our coaching. When Flights transfer on to work on a stay plane, they’ve seen it earlier than. It fills them with confidence, ”, mentioned Lieutenant Commander Joe Keane, the Senior Naval Teacher on the Wildcat Coaching Centre

A well-honed group ought to be capable of prep Wildcat for a fight mission in beneath 4 hours. At sea, the wings are fitted within the hangar, the weapons put in on the flight deck for security. Crews endure a nine-day course, from a day of idea and security and written examination, to sensible coaching. The coaching additionally focuses on the defensive aids suite – chaff and flares – and the 50 cal heavy machine-gun. Every wing can carry a mix of:
•       10 x Martlet in launchers or
•       5 x Martlet in launchers and 1 x Sea Venom or
•       1 x Sting Ray torpedo