Westland Wasp

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Westland Wasp HAS.1

Westland Wasp

The Westland Wasp was a small first-generation, gas-turbine powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. It came from the same P.531 program as the British Army Scout and was based on the earlier piston-engined Saro Skeeter. It fulfilled the 'MATCH' (MAnned Torpedo-Carrying Helicopter) requirement of the Royal Navy for a helicopter small enough to land on the deck of a frigate and carry a useful load of two homing torpedoes.

1 Design history
2 Features
3 Service
4 Variants
5 Operators
6 Specifications (Wasp HAS.1)
7 External links
8 Related content

[edit] Design history

The MATCH system came about because of the increasing speed and attack range of the submarine threat, and the increased range at which this threat could be detected. Contemporary shipboard weapons did not have the necessary range, therefore MATCH was in essence a stand-off weapon with the helicopter carrying the torpedo to the target and being instructed when and where to drop it. Unlike more modern aircraft, the Wasp carried no sonar of it own, and was limited strictly to working in partnership with its parent ship.

The first flight of the prototype P.531 model took place on 28 October 1962. The prototype differed in having a fixed, wheel-less 'pogo-stick' undercarriage. and full production soon commenced, 98 in total being procured for the RN. She was a very successful aircraft, being exported to Brazil, The Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa. An impressive 125 aircraft were built in total.

[edit] Features

Wasp was essentially a marinised Scout, indeed it was originally to be called the Sea Scout, and differed mainly in design details. It had a unique 4-wheeled castering undercarriage that allowed the aircraft to be maneuvered on the small, pitching flightdeck without the danger of rolling off. Additional fuel tankage was installed in the cabin doors and the tail and main rotor blades were foldable to allow stowage in the tiny hangars fitted to the first generation helicopter-carrying escorts.

Later modifications included the ability to carry the Sud SS.11 wire-guided missile, with the fitting of an observer's sight in the cabin roof, and the installation of large inflatable emergency floats in sponsons on either side of the cabin to prevent capsizing of the top-heavy aircraft in the event of ditching. With the capacity to seat 2 passengers Wasp was useful for short-range transport missions and by adding the SS.11 it had limited abilities to target small surface targets such as patrol boats or shore positions.

[edit] Service

[edit] Royal Navy

The Wasp HAS.Mk 1 was introduced to service in the small ships role in 1964, after an intensive period of trials by 700(W) IFTU between June 1963 and March 1964. It served in this primary role with 829 Naval Air Squadron, but also in training units to supply crews for the front line with 705 NAS between 1965 and 1967 and in 703 NAS between 1972 and 1981. Single airframes also served for light liaison duties in the Commando Assault squadrons, 845 NAS and 848 NAS until 1973. Although effective as a submarine killer, it was best deployed paired with a Wessex HAS.3 submarine hunter. It was taken out of front-line service in the late 1970s with the introduction of the Westland Lynx, a more capable and deadly aircraft.

Westland Wasp HAS.1 G-CBUI as XT420 in markings of 829 NAS, HQ Flt at RNAS Yeovilton in September 2005

It was brought back into full operational service when war with Argentina broke out in 1982 after the latter had invaded and then occupied the Falkland Islands. Seven reserve frigates and their helicopters were recommissioned for active service in the South Atlantic.

On 25 April 1982 the Argentine submarine Santa Fe was spotted by a Wessex HAS Mk 3 helicopter from HMS Antrim, and attacked with depth charges. HMS Plymouth launched a Westland Wasp HAS.Mk.1 helicopter, and HMS Brilliant launched a Westland Lynx HAS Mk 2. The Lynx launched a torpedo, and strafed it with its pintle GPMG; the Wessex also fired on the Santa Fe with its GPMG. The Wasp from HMS Plymouth as well as two other Wasps launched from HMS Endurance fired AS.12 antiship missiles at the submarine, scoring hits. Santa Fe was damaged badly enough to prevent her from submerging. The crew abandoned the submarine at the jetty at King Edward Point on South Georgia and surrendered to the British forces, thus becoming the first casualty of the sea war, as well as the first direct engagement by the Royal Navy Task Force.

The last Wasp was finally withdrawn from service in 1988 when the last of the frigates for which the Wasp had been designed, was decommissioned.

[edit] Royal Malaysian Navy

The Wasp came into service with the Royal Malaysian Navy quite late, compared to the others nations who procured the aircraft. She joined the RMN on 11 May 1990. The Wasp had a relatively short career with that Navy, being phased out just ten years later when they were replaced by the Eurocopter Fennec.

[edit] Royal New Zealand Navy

The first Wasp was purchased in 1966 being immediately assigned to the new Leander class frigate of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), HMNZS Waikato. They provided numerous tasks, as well as taking part in the Armilla Patrol in the Persian Gulf during the 1980s. The Wasps were flown by RNZN pilots but maintained by ground crews of No. 3 Squadron RNZAF.

In 1997, four Wasps performed a flypast, marking the arrival of the new ANZAC-class frigate, HMNZS Te Kaha.

The Wasp served 32 years with the RNZN, retiring in 1998, the same year HMNZS Waikato, which first operationally deployed the Wasp in New Zealand, was herself decommissioned. They were replaced by the SH-2 Seasprite.

RNZN Wasps are preserved in the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum in Christchurch and the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. A number were sold into private ownership, at least one of which continues to fly.

[edit] Other operators

The Wasp was also in service with the Brazilian, Indonesian, and South African navies. The Indonesian aircraft are all former Dutch aircraft and were the last of the type in active service. In the Royal Netherlands Navy, the AH-12A Wasp was replaced with the Westland Lynx.

[edit] Variants

P.531 : Prototype.
Sea Scout HAS.Mk 1 : The Sea Scout HAS.Mk 1 was the original Royal Navy designation for the Wasp.
Wasp HAS.Mk 1 : Shipboard anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Royal Navy.