Świdnik 2024-07-16
This article is a continuation of the text under the title “PZL Świdnik AgustaWestland EH-101 / AW.101. 2018.” Among other things, that article talks about the history of the company and the development of the helicopter design, which was realised in the AW.101. It also mentions the Polish participation in the Agusta company.
Agusta Westland AW.101.
The AW.101 is a medium-sized helicopter with a maximum take-off weight of up to 15,600 kg, equipped with a rear ramp. The helicopter is built in the classic Sikorsky layout. Unique to the helicopter is a propulsion system consisting of three turbine engines. The AW.101 has found use not only in the military, but also in civilian tasks. It was purchased by several European countries (Italy, UK, Norway), as well as the USA, Canada and Japan.
At the end of the 1970s, the Italian and UK navies began looking for a new machine to replace the Westland Sea King helicopters in service. The Westland Sea King is a far-reaching modification of the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopter, which made its first flight in 1969. It was a natural consequence of the collaboration between Agusta and Westland.
In 1980, the British company Westland and the Italian company Agusta founded European Helicopters Industrie Ltd with branches in Yeovil (UK) and Milan (Italy). They undertook work on a helicopter that was to meet the requirements of both armies. The main users were to be NAVY troops. At the time, the programme to build this helicopter was the most ambitious, the most advanced and also the most expensive. The new helicopter was to strengthen the position of both countries in helicopter construction. The first flight was scheduled for 1987. The next two years saw 5,000 hours of flight testing. Serial production was started in 1989. The plan was to sell 1,000 helicopters.
Three engines were envisaged as propulsion. For the prototypes, General Electric CT-7-2A engines of 1,289 kW each were selected. For the serial helicopters, Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca RTM322 engines were envisaged.
On 12 June 1981, the UK Government confirmed its participation in the project, allocating an initial budget of £20 million for the development of nine pre-series machines. The main contract, which provided funding for the EH.101 programme, was signed by the British and Italian governments in 1984. This is how EH Industries Limited (EHI) was formed. The result of this joint venture was the EH.101 helicopter programme. At the Paris Air Show in 1985, Agusta showed a mock-up of the new helicopter. It was a very generic mock-up, as the helicopter was to be built to a specific customer order from the outset, i.e. it was to be a multi-tasking platform.
The first prototype made its first flight on 9 October 1987. The first serial helicopter was delivered in May 1997 and the customer was the RAF.
In 1987, strong interest in the EH.101 (now AW.101) helicopter was expressed by Canada, which intended to use the helicopter mainly over the North Atlantic and Pacific, i.e. in very difficult conditions. The Canadians liked the third engine and the high autonomy of the helicopter in operations. In addition, the helicopter was to have a very long range and de-icing systems. However, there were sharp political disagreements in Canada. Mainly due to the very high cost of acquiring the machines at a time when the Cold War was already over. The contract, which had already been signed, was cancelled and Canada had to pay a fine of USD 470 million. After a few years, Canada bought the AW.101 helicopters anyway.
Nine prototypes were built. On 21 January 1993, there was a crash of the second prototype. As a result, flight testing was halted for six months. One more helicopter was lost during testing.
In February 1995, after the programme had been in operation for fourteen years, the UK finally placed an order for 22 EH.101 machines. A short while later, Italy did the same, ordering 16 EH.101 machines. Both contracts were protested. Opponents claimed that no worse machines could be acquired for much less money.
Due to the consolidation of Agusta and Westland, the helicopter’s designation was changed from EH.101 to AW.101. In the UK, the helicopter was also given its own name, Merlin.
In 2001, a transport version of the AW.101 helicopter was developed with a rear loading ramp, which increased the helicopter’s versatility by leaps and bounds.
The helicopter has proved to be reliable and has been recognised by many customers. The AW.101 is very popular and was developed in a wide range of versions. It performs excellently over the seas, especially in the difficult North Sea. Therefore, one of the basic versions is the sea rescue version. The AW.101 helicopter is also suitable for anti-submarine warfare.
The AW.101 can be used for anti-submarine warfare (ZOP) tasks as well as SAR and CSAR missions due to its large payload bay, which is 6.50m long, 2.30m wide and 1.91m high. The machine also has a 1.8m wide door on the starboard side and a smaller door on the port side.
The UK ZOP version does not have a rear loading ramp, as this part of the cabin is occupied by a drop-down sonar, two acoustic buoy launchers and racks with additional payloads for them. During standard ZOP operations, the AW.101 helicopter still has the basic equipment for rescue missions on board so that it can carry out the retrieval of a survivor from the water and provide basic assistance at any time. A dozen survivors or six stretchers with injured people on special mounts can be taken on board. After complete dismantling of the ZOP equipment, which takes several hours, it is possible to have space for, for example, 9 stretchers, a dozen survivors in a sitting position and rescue equipment. In the anti-submarine warfare configuration, the British AW.101 Merlin helicopter carries several dozen sonar buoys used in two turret launchers and a sonar lowered into the water. Permanent equipment includes a radar station and an optoelectronic warhead.
In terms of armament, the AW.101 Merlin HM2 helicopter used by the Royal Navy can carry up to four Sting Ray torpedoes, Mk.11 Mod.3 depth bombs or Sea Eagle missiles to strike surface targets. The Italian Navy, in turn, has decided to integrate the machine with Marte Mk 2/S anti-ship missiles. The helicopter can also be equipped with 12.7mm and 7.62mm calibre machine guns.
Equipped with three Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca RTM322 or General Electric CT7 engines, the helicopter, which has a maximum take-off weight of 15,600 kg, can achieve a maximum range of 1,363 km, and this can be further increased by fitting additional fuel tanks.
In 2005, AgustaWestland and Lockheed Martin were selected as the winners of the VXX competition for a helicopter for the US Marine Corps. A variant of the AW.101, designated the Kestrel VH-71, was proposed. However, in 2009, the programme was cancelled due to the significance of programme cost overruns and protests from domestic manufacturers.
By 2010, more than 180 units of the AW.101 had been sold worldwide, with 220 machines sold by 2017 and 225 machines sold by 2019. In total, the AW.101 fleet has completed 200,000 flight hours. AW.101 helicopters have been purchased by: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, UK. By 2018, AW.101 helicopters had been involved in 11 accidents and disasters.
Interest in the Polish Army.
In 2018, the opportunity to sell helicopters to the Polish Army came from companies that manufacture helicopters in Poland, namely Świdnik and Mielec. The Polish Army was and is interested in three helicopters from the AgustaWestland / Leonardo Helicopters concern. One is the larger AW.101, the second is the smaller AW-149 and the third is the indigenous W-3PL Głuszec.
AW.101 for Poland.
If Poland decided to purchase 16 machines (8 each for naval aviation and special forces) it would be possible to start production in Świdnik. The AW.101 is a multi-purpose helicopter with excellent performance enabling the most difficult missions such as CSAR, SAR and anti-submarine and surface combat. These claims have not been challenged by anyone to date.
Following the cancellation of Caracal helicopters in February 2017, the Ministry of Defence announced a tender for the purchase of 16 helicopters for the Polish Armed Forces.
In March 2017, an Italian AW.101 helicopter arrived in Poland unexpectedly with a demonstration mission. When it landed at Balice Airport, everyone was surprised. The helicopter was demonstrated in Świdnik and in Warsaw. Later, the helicopter was shown at the Kielce Trade Fair, with the HH-101A Caesar version. The HH-101A Caesar is a multi-purpose helicopter designed for the demanding missions of special forces and the Navy, including search and rescue tasks and combating underwater and surface threats at sea.
The possible win by PZL-Świdnik was a huge opportunity for the plant. Since December 2009, elements of the AW.101 fuselage structure have been made at Świdnik. Not only that: the Leonardo company continues to offer the AW.149 and W-3 Sokół (W-3PL Głuszec) helicopters to the Polish Army. During 21 years of fruitful partnership, the production of fuselages of AW.119, AW.109 Power, AW.109 LUH, Grand, and AW.139 models was implemented in Świdnik. The cabin of the latter model was designed by Świdnik engineers. This was the first time engineers from PZL-Świdnik participated in a new helicopter development programme led by a Western European company. In 2018, the Świdnik plant produced around 170 fuselages of AgustaWestland helicopters per year. The value of deliveries in 2008, exceeded PLN 150 million and accounted for 35% of the factory’s total sales. Currently (2018), the AW.101 helicopter is manufactured in the UK in Yeovil at facilities owned by the Leonardo Group.
It seems that the AW.101 helicopter is an ideal solution for the Polish Army. The purchase price may be a certain problem, as well as the cost of use due to the propulsion system used, consisting of three engines. But other concerns also arise: A Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter with 30 special forces soldiers crashed in Afghanistan. A huge loss. Shouldn’t smaller helicopters be used in favour of this, so that the possible losses would be less?
In 2018, the Armaments Inspectorate revealed the decision to separate the helicopter acquisition programmes separately for the Special Forces and separately for the Navy. At the end of 2018, decisions were made that four Black Hawk helicopters would be purchased for the Special Forces. On the other hand, four AW.101 helicopters were selected for the Navy.
In February 2018, the AW.101 helicopter underwent the verification tests required in the proceedings in Poland. The tests were carried out from Babie Doły Airport using an AW.101 helicopter manufactured for Norway, which was still owned by the manufacturer at the time.
The proceeding for the purchase of ZOP/CSAR helicopters for the Navy, was conducted by the Armament Inspectorate from October 2016, under an urgent operational need. The mode of negotiations was in accordance with Decision No. 367/MON of the Minister of Defence of 14 September 2015, on the principles and mode of awarding in the Ministry of National Defence contracts of primary importance for national security. In March 2017, bids were submitted by two manufacturers: Airbus Helicopters SAS jointly with Heli Invest Sp z o. o. Services Sp. K.A. with the Caracal helicopter and Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego PZL-Świdnik S.A. offering the AW.101 helicopter. The final offer, by the deadline of 30 November 2018, was submitted only by the company from Świdnik. The Airbus Helicopters concern decided to withdraw from the proceedings because, in its view, the offset requirements defined by the Ministry of Defence for this purchase, with the assumed number of helicopters, made it impossible to submit a competitive bid.
Offset.
On 5 April 2019, an offset agreement worth nearly PLN 400 million was signed as a condition for the main contract. According to a communiqué from the Ministry of Defence, it covers a total of nine offset commitments from three areas (A, B and C), valued at PLN 395.9 million. The main recipient of the offset is Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 1 S.A. in Łódź, while the Centre for Maritime Military Technologies of the Gdańsk University of Technology appears as an additional recipient of the offset in four offset commitments. In WZL Nr 1, a helicopter operation support centre is to be established, where rotorcraft overhauls and repairs will be carried out. This is very important for the existence of WZL Nr 1, because after the withdrawal of Soviet equipment from the Polish Army, the facility would be liquidated.
Contract for the procurement of 4 AW.101 helicopters.
On 26 April 2019, a contract for the purchase of four AW.101 helicopters, for the Polish Navy, was signed at the Leonardo aviation plant in Świdnik. The value of the contract is PLN 1.65 billion gross. The helicopters will be designed for anti-submarine warfare (ZOP tasks) and search and rescue operations in combat conditions (CSAR tasks). The machines will be fully equipped and armed. The helicopters are to be delivered by the end of 2022. In addition to the helicopters, a training and logistics package and medical equipment will be delivered. The logistics package to be purchased includes a stock of spare and consumable parts and technical equipment to operate the helicopters. The training package includes comprehensive training for pilots and technical personnel.
Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego PZL-Świdnik S.A. is a party to the contract. It is this company that is responsible for the implementation of the contract. The signing ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic Mateusz Morawiecki, the head of the Ministry of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak, the president of the Leonardo Group Alessandro Profumo, the managing director of Leonardo Gian Piero Cutillo.
– “The purchase of AW.101 helicopters is a very important moment for Poland, they will significantly strengthen our armed forces and will be a very important part of our security architecture.” – Mateusz Morawiecki said in Świdnik. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki expressed his satisfaction that the Świdnik plant is to participate in the production. – “It is extremely important that a significant part of the production, but also the logistics package, the training package, the technical package, the offset package, will serve the Polish economy.” – he said. The Prime Minister added – “The production of helicopters is our Polish tradition, which we will not depart from, and we are coming out of the hole we were in.” He assessed that the prospects for helicopter production in Poland “are looking better and better”, and expressed hope for further production and modernisation of the Sokół helicopters manufactured in Świdnik. Later, on the social networking site Twitter, the Prime Minister added that the ministry’s next target would be the purchase of attack helicopters.
The AW.101 helicopters will be built at the UK plant in Yeovil, which is owned by the Leonardo Group. Representatives of the Leonardo group announced that parts for the AW.101 will be made at Świdnik, with hydraulic systems and electrical harnesses being manufactured at Świdnik. The Italians confirmed that their presence in Poland is important to them and that the Świdnik plant is one of the strategic ones. The Leonardo Group announced the establishment of a new company in Poland, which will be responsible for the presentation and promotion of the group’s products and support for their operation.
The Ministry of Defence, in the communication provided, did not disclose the details of the ordered equipment, which is critical for the ability to perform ZOP and CSAR tasks. This happened because the hysterical opposition (Civic Platform) since 2016, only criticised the conduct of the Ministry of Defence and did not want to engage in a constructive discussion about the future shape of the Polish Army, as they themselves liquidated the Polish Armed Forces for 8 years.
In 2019, the Naval Aviation Brigade had in stock: 8 Mi-14 P£, 4 Kaman SH-2 G, 2 Mi-14 P£/R, PZL Sokół, PZL Mi-2. In the coming years, all Mi-14 and SH-2 G, should be withdrawn from service. That is 14 helicopters. Undoubtedly, the weakest point of the concluded agreement is the number of helicopters – only 4 helicopters. This may make it difficult to negotiate a price for more helicopters of this type in the future. It may or may not. Because let us remember that Special Forces are waiting for Black Hawk helicopters. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence is not binding itself to one manufacturer. Perhaps, the Ministry of Defence wants to assess in exploitation whether the combination of ZOP and CSAR tasks in Polish conditions will prove to be right.
Poland went in the direction of a very good AW.101 helicopter, which should meet the Navy’s expectations. It would have been different if Poland had gone in the direction of the AW.149 platform. This helicopter would have been developed in Poland, with the participation of Polish designers, and could have better met our requirements in many tasks. The AW.149 helicopter is one of the most modern helicopters in the world. According to information from May 2015, the company planned to build 350 in the next 20 years, which could generate revenues for PZL Świdnik of more than PLN 50 billion. Let us remember that the Polish Army was interested in three helicopters from the AgustaWestland / Leonardo Helicopters concern. One is the larger AW.101, the second is the smaller AW-149 and the third is the indigenous W-3PL Głuszec. But the AW.149 is a different class from the AW.101.
AW.101 design.
The AW.101 is a multi-role helicopter developed in British-Italian co-operation and manufactured at the Leonardo Group’s Yeovil plant in England. The AW.101 is a medium-sized helicopter, with a maximum take-off weight of up to 15,600 kg, equipped with an optional rear ramp. Unique to the helicopter is a propulsion system consisting of three turbine engines.
The AW.101 Merlin has a conventional Sikorsky-type layout. It uses advanced technology, for example in the construction of the carrier rotor blades and avionics. The fuselage structure is modular and consists of aluminium-lithium alloy supplemented with composites. The AW.101 is designed to operate in extreme weather conditions; it is equipped with a de-icing system and capable of operating in temperatures ranging from -45 to +50 degrees Celsius. Control systems allow the AW.101 to maintain a stable course in crosswinds of up to 74 km / h (40 kn).
The active vibration control system, known as active structural response system control, reduces structural vibration by up to 80 per cent, which increases crew comfort and minimises the build-up of material fatigue in the airframe. The cockpit is equipped with armoured seats for the crew and can withstand impact speeds of more than 10 m/s. Two flight controls are available, although the AW.101 can be flown by one person. The crew has six high-resolution colour screens and an optional mission display. A digital map or infrared (FLIR) screen can also be installed. The AW.101 helicopter has all passive and active defence systems as options.
The AW.101 is normally operated by a crew of three: pilot, observer and crew member/operator. The pilot is able to fly most missions in ‘hands-off’ mode, guided by an advanced autopilot. All crew members have individual access to on-board management computers and tactical information.
The fuselage has a volume of 31.91 cubic metres and the cargo area is 6.5 metres (21 feet) long, 2.3 metres (7 feet 7 inches) wide and 1.91 metres (6 feet 3 inches) high. The military version of the AW.101 can accommodate up to 24 seated soldiers with equipment. Alternative loads include a medical team and 16 wounded stretchers or cargo pallets.
The ramp measures 1.91m high by 2.3m wide and can take a load of 3,050kg (6,720lbs), allowing vehicles such as a Land Rover to be carried. The ramp and cab floor are fitted with flat mounting points. A cargo hook under the hull can carry external loads of 5,440 kilograms (11,990 pounds), using a semi-automatic load release unit (SACRU).
Carrier rotor.
The carrier rotor consists of five blades. Diameter 18.59 m. The rotor blades are constructed of carbon/glass with honeycomb nomex and rohacell foam. The leading edge is made of titanium alloy, with a sandwich construction. The characteristic blade tips reduce acoustic noise.
Drive of the AW.101.
The AW.101 is powered by three turbine engines. There is a choice of Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca RTM322 and General Electric CT7 engines. The Rolls-Royce RTM322 engine was developed specifically for the AW.101 and was subsequently adopted on the WAH-64 Apache and NHIndustries NH90 helicopters. According to Rolls-Royce, around 80 per cent of the AW.101s built use the RTM322 engine. Filters on the engine air intakes are an option.
Each engine is fed by a separate 1,074-litre (276 US gallon) fuel tank with twin pumps. An optional further two fuel tanks can be fitted. Self-sealing fuel tanks are an optional customer choice. Likewise, the installation of nitrogen to fill the empty space in the tanks is optional. The AW.101 helicopter can be equipped with an in-flight fuel retrieval system.
Avionics AW.101.
The AW.101 uses a digital automatic flight control system (AFCS). The AFCS enables four-axis autopilot operation and automatic stabilisation and is linked to the helicopter’s flight management systems. The AFCS, manufactured by Smiths Aerospace, is a dual-duplex system using two onboard computers for redundancy and fault tolerance.
The AW.101 navigation system includes a GPS receiver and inertial navigation system, 360-degree VHF radio range (VOR), instrument landing system (ILS), TACAN and automatic direction finding. The Mk1 and Mk3 are equipped with a Doppler velocity system (DVS), which provides relative ground speeds. The DVS is also linked to the AFCS as part of the stabilisation system. For safety reasons, the aircraft is equipped with an obstacle warning and terrain avoidance system, a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and voice and flight data recorders.
The AW.101 is equipped with Blue Kestrel search and detection radar, which can scan 360 degrees and can detect small objects up to a range of 25 nautical miles.
The crew of the AW.101 helicopter consists of 3-4 people. The helicopter carries 38 passengers or 26 armed troops or 5,000 loads.
T-T AW.101 data:
Fuselage length 19.53 m. Rotor diameter 18.59m. Carrier rotor wheel area 271.51 m² (2,92.5 ft²). Height 6.62 m. Unladen weight 10,500 kg. Maximum take-off weight 14,600 kg. Maximum speed 309 km/h. Cruising speed 278 km/h. Nominal range 833 km. Operational ceiling 15 000 ft. Maximum flight time 5 hours. Propulsion unit: 3 × Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01 turbines with 3 x 1,566 kW.
AW.101 on test at the Naval Aviation Brigade.
In February 2019, the Leonardo Helicopters AW.101 Merlin helicopter underwent tests at the Naval Aviation Brigade in Gdynia. The helicopter was equipped with anti-submarine warfare (ZOP) equipment and medical equipment to conduct CSAR – combat search and rescue – operations. The helicopter was in Norwegian colours and had a rear ramp. The helicopter also had equipment specially selected by Norway; AESA active scanning radar. There is also a system that allows people to be found by locating their mobile phone, and in addition, establish a conversation with the owner of the phone, even though the phone is normally offline. The helicopter was painted white and reflective red. The fuselage bore the emblem of the Norwegian Military Forces. At the time of the tests in Poland, the AW.101 helicopter was still owned by the manufacturer and flown in from the UK. Norway ordered sixteen AW.101 helicopters and the first helicopter was handed over to Norway in November 2017.
Due to the twisting of information by the Masonic media, the Ministry of Defence decided not to provide information on the details of the process of acquiring AW.101 helicopters.
AW.101 in 2023.
To date (2023), the AW.101 has been selected by 13 countries, including but not limited to: Italy, UK, Japan, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Portugal, Turkmenistan, India, USA. Approximately 190 AW.101 machines are in service worldwide, having flown 400,000 hours, 66,000 of them in battlefield support missions. The helicopter has been developed in numerous versions designed not only for ZOP, SAR and CSAR tasks. There are also versions for combat against surface ships (ZON), detection and mine warfare (AMCM), and for Special Forces operating over land, and in this role it is used in Italy, among others.
AW.101 helicopters operate successfully both on hot plateaus and in the most difficult polar Arctic sea regions. They are used in real-life rescue and combat operations, for example against pirates off the coast of Somalia, in Iraq and Afghanistan. The AW.101 has a proven range of more than 1,300 km without refuelling in the air. In good weather, the machine can operate on two engines for reasons of economy and on one in emergency mode. A total loss of oil allows the engines to operate for 30 minutes more.
The helicopter can take 26 soldiers with full equipment or 36 soldiers with light weapons. During the rescue operation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan, the helicopter took more than 50 people on board. In the British experience, AW.101 helicopters perform at a 95 per cent level. The AW.101 helicopters being built for Norway are expected to be 100 % mission capable.
The AW.101 are manufactured at the factory in Yeovile, which boasts a rich history. The first aircraft were built here in 1915. Aircraft such as the Westland Wagtail and Spitfire were built here. Currently (2023), the AW.101, AW.159, SL.300 and AW.189 helicopters are being built at Yeovile, overhauling and improving the machines. At a time, work can be carried out on 10 new helicopters in the assembly hall. The time required to build one machine from scratch is 18 months. In 2023, elements of the AW.101 helicopter’s skin were made in Świdnik.
AW.101 in the Polish Army.
On 10 August 2023, the first AW.101 nb 6201 helicopter, destined for the Polish Navy, arrived in Świdnik. The flight took place from the Yeovil factory in the UK. The helicopter underwent acceptance tests and was accepted into the Polish Army. On 8 November 2023, the helicopter reported to the 44th Naval Air Base in Darlowo. On 17 August 2023, a second AW.101 helicopter nb 6202 arrived in Swidnik. On 10 January 2024, all four AW.101 helicopters were in Darlowo. Two two-station aircraft hangars were erected for the helicopters.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman