62-812: The AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat (previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat ) is a military helicopter, developed by the British-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland , and later marketed by the Italian aerospace company Leonardo . It is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx designed to serve in the battlefield utility , search and rescue , aerial reconnaissance , anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), utility , command and control , and troop transport duties. Development commenced during
124-622: A Polish helicopter manufacturer. In September 2012, AgustaWestland and Northrop Grumman announced the signing of a comprehensive teaming agreement under which the companies would jointly bid for contracts to build the U.S. Air Force Combat Rescue helicopter and U.S. Navy's new "Marine One" presidential helicopter. In March 2013, AgustaWestland announced its Project Zero hybrid tiltrotor/fan-in-wing technology demonstrator. The unmanned demonstrator made its first tethered flight in June 2011 at AgustaWestland's Cascina Costa, Italy facility. According to
186-761: A Wildcat to board and detain the Grace 1 oil tanker off Gibraltar . On 15 January 2013, South Korea 's Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced the selection of the AW159 to fulfill a requirement of the Republic of Korea Navy for a maritime helicopter, winning against the MH-60R Seahawk . The batch of eight aircraft were chosen to perform search-and-rescue missions, anti-submarine warfare and surveillance. In January 2014, DAPA announced it will equip its Wildcat helicopters with Spike NLOS missiles to provide
248-610: A bribe. On 12 February 2013, Giuseppe Orsi , the CEO of Finmeccanica, was arrested by Italian authorities; the following day Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony ordered a probe into the contract. In January 2014, India cancelled the US$ 630 ;million deal, subsequently recovering the sum which it had paid. In 2016, following a corporate reorganisation, AgustaWestland merged into Leonardo S.p.A. , Finmeccanica's new name. With this reorganidation, AgustaWestland ceased to exist as
310-502: A formal assessment phase of the Future Lynx. On 22 July 2002, a collaboration agreement was signed between AgustaWestland and Thales Group , under which Thales was assigned development responsibility for the programme's core avionics, including communications, navigation, and flight management electronics; that same day, additional MOD funding for the fledgling Future Lynx programme was announced as having been allocated. By April 2003,
372-593: A minor cut in numbers set to be procured, for a total of 62 rotorcraft. In October 2007, following the passing of an interim critical design review, the Future Lynx programme proceeded to the manufacturing phase; the first metal was cut on the initial flight-test rotorcraft that same month. In September 2008, the powerplant selected for the Future Lynx, the LHTEC CTS800-4N , received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification, enabling production deliveries to commence. In November 2008, GKN delivered
434-578: A separate company, and it became Leonardo's helicopter division. In 2020 Leonardo relaunched the "Agusta" brand for the VIP helicopter sector. The launch of the new brand was announced during Expo 2020 in Dubai. Comparable major helicopter manufacturers : National Audit Office (United Kingdom) The National Audit Office ( NAO ) is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which
496-689: A stand-off attack capability for engaging targets such as ground artillery and small vessels. In April 2015, the South Korean government was considering ordering a further 12 Wildcats to further strengthen the Navy's anti-submarine capabilities; alternative options include the MH-60 Seahawk and the domestically produced KAI KUH-1 Surion helicopter. On 13 June 2016, the Republic of Korea Navy took delivery of four Wildcats. The helicopters operate from
558-521: Is based in London and Newcastle and has a staff of 800. Part of the NAO's London Office is a listed building, originally built for Imperial Airways as their " Empire Terminal ". The building underwent a £60m restoration and refurbishment, completed in 2009. The NAO rents part of its offices to tenants, generating income of £1.1m in 2019–20. The building is a modern, open plan office and the refurbishment enabled
620-613: Is granted every banking day through a mechanism known as 'the credit'. The Exchequer Section is also responsible for agreeing payments from the Consolidated Fund directly to certain bodies, including the King (through the civil list) and judicial salaries. The NAO produces a number of briefings for select committees, but its key audience is the Public Accounts Committee. It also has a strong relationship with
682-703: Is heavily modernised and adapted to gain new attributes and functionality. The AW159 comprises 95% new components; the remaining 5%, consisting of such items as the fuel system and main rotor gearbox, are interchangeable with the Lynx AH7 and HMA8 variants. During development, the Army and Navy variants of the Wildcat reportedly maintained 98 per cent commonality with one another. The AW159 is the first helicopter by AgustaWestland to be designed inside an entirely digital environment. Among other changes, certain external elements of
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#1732791735140744-570: Is powered by two 1,362 hp (1,016 kW) LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines, driving the rotorcraft's BERP IV rotor blades via a new transmission , increasing the maximum take-off weight by more than 1 ton over the legacy Super Lynx. It is equipped with a new composite tailboom, tailplane , tail rotor , nose structure and avionics suite. The naval version is also equipped with a Selex Galileo Seaspray 7000E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and L-3 Wescam MX-15HDi electro-optical/infrared nose turret. A glass cockpit comprises
806-586: Is responsible for auditing central government departments , government agencies and non-departmental public bodies . The NAO also carries out value for money (VFM) audits into the administration of public policy. The NAO is the auditor of bodies funded directly by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The NAO reports to the Comptroller and Auditor General who is an officer of the House of Commons of
868-712: The Auditors of the Imprest . In 1785 a Commission for Auditing the Public Accounts was established by statute (the former arrangement having fallen into abeyance). Its members, the Commissioners of Audit , were five in number (increased to ten in 1806). The Commissioners worked closely with the Comptroller of the Exchequer (who was charged with controlling the issue of funds to the government) following
930-545: The Bowman communications system, allowing for data such as targeting and voice communications to be securely and seamlessly transmitted to friendly forces. Some AW159 models have been fitted with various General Dynamics -built mission systems, these include secured data recorders and tactical processing systems which integrate sensor data and application information for displaying within the cockpit as well as for retention within encrypted data storage. Other mission systems used on
992-729: The Fleet Air Arm 's first Wildcat HMA2 commenced its initial operational deployment at sea. Within five years, both services had withdrawn the last Lynx helicopters in favour of the Wildcat. The rotorcraft is also marketed towards export customers; overseas operators include the Republic of Korea Navy and the Philippine Navy . In 1995, the British Government announced that the Royal Navy 's existing Westland Lynx helicopters were to be replaced; at that point,
1054-572: The Future Lynx project originated in two studies to determine the suitability of a derivative of the Super Lynx 300 to replace the existing Lynx helicopters of the Royal Navy and British Army . These requirements were known as the Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) and Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter (BLUH) programmes, respectively. In July 2002, AgustaWestland received a contract to conduct
1116-682: The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 to provide an end-to-end view of policy implementation, and produce reports aimed at the local government sector. The Comptroller Function is administered by the Exchequer Section within the NAO. Its work centres on recording all transactions to and from the Consolidated and National Loans funds. Money cannot be paid from either of these without the C&;AG's prior approval. This approval
1178-856: The Parliament of the United Kingdom and in turn reports to the Public Accounts Commission , a statutory body established under section 2 of the National Audit Act 1983. The reports produced by the NAO are reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee , a select committee of the House of Commons, and in some cases investigated further. The NAO has two main streams of work: Financial Audits and Value For Money (VFM) audits. The NAO's financial audits give assurance over three aspects of government expenditure:
1240-474: The Sea Skua . Both missiles are being integrated by AgustaWestland in a single £90m programme by 2018, with IOC for both planned by October 2020. Many elements of the AW159's avionics are provided by Thales Group. The type is reported to possess significant ISTAR capabilities and improved situational awareness, achieved through its onboard integrated digital open systems architecture; it has been equipped with
1302-579: The Audit Quality Review team of the Financial Reporting Council. Value for Money (VFM) audits are non-financial audits to measure the effectiveness, economy and efficiency of government spending. Roughly sixty of these reports are produced each year, the most notable from recent years being the reports on MRSA , which led to an increase in public interest in the topic, the report on the rescue of British Energy and
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#17327917351401364-599: The BA609 civil tiltrotor aircraft from 25 per cent to 40 per cent. In June 2008, AgustaWestland and the Russia-based helicopter manufacturer Russian Helicopters agreed to form a new joint venture company to assemble AW139 helicopters in Russia. Construction of a $ 50 million helicopter assembly facility in the town of Tomilino near Moscow began in June 2010. In early 2010, AgustaWestland acquired PZL-Świdnik ,
1426-552: The British Army and Royal Navy; in excess of 10,000 flight hours had been logged between the services along with a 100 percent availability rate achieved at sea and over 1,200 deck landings performed. In September 2015, a Wildcat HMA.2 of 825 Naval Air Squadron was deployed aboard HMS Duncan in the Persian Gulf to perform extreme high temperature trials. On 4 July 2019, Royal Marines from 42 Commando unit used
1488-496: The British Army with 40 aircraft and Royal Navy with 30, with an option for a further 10, split equally between Army and Navy. By late 2007, the Future Lynx was scheduled to enter service with the British Army and Royal Navy in 2014 and 2015 respectively. In 2008, the cancellation of the Future Lynx programme has reportedly been under consideration. In December 2008, the MOD announced that the main contract would be proceeding, only incurring
1550-492: The MOD was reportedly deliberating on whether to launch an open competition for other companies to bid to meet the BRH requirement, or to sole-source the contract from AgustaWestland to proceed with the Future Lynx. In late March 2005, the MOD confirmed the Future Lynx as being its preferred option for its rotorcraft renewal programme, and was expected to place a non-competitive contract with AgustaWestland later that year. The signing of
1612-413: The NAO arises from these three fundamental principles, in that, as Parliament votes on public expenditure of various activities by public bodies, they need auditors that are independent of the body in question, the government and/or opposing political parties; while auditing for compliance and legal spending by departments on the activities voted for by Parliament, in a transparent and public forum. The NAO
1674-798: The NAO to introduce many environmentally friendly features, such as rain-water harvesting. The NAO is structured into Directorates, each with a responsibility for a government department (for instance, the Home Office or Department for Culture, Media and Sport ). Each Directorate contains 20–30 staff, many of whom are qualified accountants or in training for qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Within Directorates, staff will be split between Financial Audit and Value for Money work and include staff of
1736-438: The Navy's Incheon-class guided missile/coastal defense frigates . The remaining four were delivered in late November 2016. ROK Navy Wildcats are fitted with a Seaspray 7400E radar offering 360-degree coverage. The first four AW159s were operational by February 2017. Its AESA radar and electro-optic thermal sensor are capable of detecting surface contacts out to 360 km (220 mi; 190 nmi). For anti-submarine duties,
1798-565: The Navy. Prior to the introduction of the Wildcat, the Philippines lacked any ASW capabilities in a region where the number of submarines being operated by other nations was reportedly set to grow. On 7 May 2019, the two AW159 anti-submarine helicopters arrived in the Philippines. The helicopters are purchased as units assigned onboard the Jose Rizal-class Frigates . In 2016, Malaysia reportedly considering increasing
1860-521: The Public Accounts Commission that oversees the work of the NAO and approves its budgets. The NAO and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) form the key links of the public audit cycle, which has the following sequence: The Public Accounts Commission (TPAC) annually approves the NAO's corporate plans and budgets. It also receives value for money reports on the operation of the NAO. These are written by private sector audit firms in much
1922-708: The Royal Navy awarded Thales Group a £48 million contract to deliver the Martlet missile for the Wildcat under the Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapons Light (FASGW (L)) programme for targets such as small boats and fast attack craft. A Wildcat can carry four launchers, each with five Martlets. In March 2014, a contract was awarded to MBDA for the Sea Venom (FASGW Heavy) missile for use against vessels and land targets, replacing
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-732: The United Nations Board of Auditors, responsible for auditing the United Nations itself, including peacekeeping operations and related organisations such as UNICEF and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The earliest known mention of a public official responsible for auditing government expenditure is a reference made in 1314 to the Auditor of the Exchequer . In 1559 an office was set up, with responsibility for auditing Exchequer payments, called
2046-769: The Wildcat conducted its first public display at the Farnborough International Airshow . At the event, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond stated that the "Wildcat represents a considerable advance over the current Lynx helicopters, bringing greatly improved performance and capability." On 29 August 2014, the Wildcat AH1 formally entered service with the Army Air Corps. On 23 March 2015, the Royal Navy's first Wildcat HMA2 began its initial operational deployment at sea on board HMS Lancaster . By 2024, all 62 Wildcats had been delivered to
2108-761: The Wildcat have been produced by BAE Systems . All variants of the Wildcat share the same defensive aids arrangement, which shares some commonality with the AgustaWestland Apache ; features include missile warning sensors, countermeasures dispensers, and infrared exhaust suppressors. The UK has ordered 34 Wildcats for the British Army and 28 for the Royal Navy. The Army Air Corps formed the Wildcat Fielding Team (Army), which later became 652 (Operational Conversion) Squadron , for trials and operational conversion of Joint Helicopter Command , now Joint Aviation Command , aircrew and ground crew to
2170-452: The Wildcat, such as the tail rotor, have been redesigned for greater durability and stealth qualities. Both Army and Navy variants have a common airframe, which is manufactured by GKN Aerostructures ; the airframe has undergone marinisation for operations in the naval environment and providing for a greater airframe lifespan of 12,000 flight hours. The wheeled undercarriage is also strengthened for naval landings on both variants. The AW159
2232-536: The company, the aircraft "employs no hydraulics, doesn't burn fossil fuel and generates zero emissions." India signed a contract to purchase 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters in February 2010 for the Communication Squadron of Indian Air Force to carry the president, PM and other VVIPs. The contract was frozen in February 2013 after allegations surfaced that US$ 60 million had been paid as
2294-504: The contract was delayed to the following year, this was reportedly in part due to preparation and release of the 2005 Defence Industrial Strategy , which supported the selection of the Future Lynx. On 22 June 2006, the MOD awarded AgustaWestland a £1 billion contract for 70 Future Lynx helicopters as a commitment under the Strategic Partnering Arrangement with AgustaWestland. The programme envisaged providing
2356-540: The current fleet on order, for a total of eight aircraft to operate as Wildcat Light Assault Helicopters. Further orders for the Wildcat have since been placed by export customers, including the Republic of Korea Navy and the Philippine Navy . The AW159 Wildcat is a further development of the Westland Lynx . While the AW159 shares broad similarities in appearance to the Lynx, it has significant design differences and
2418-591: The early 2000s under the name Future Lynx to replace the existing Lynx helicopters then operated by both the Royal Navy and British Army . Refurbishment and upgrading of the existing first generation Lynx airframes was evaluated but found to be uneconomical in comparison to producing a new generation airframe. Various new electronics and avionics systems were incorporated, including a glass cockpit , onboard integrated digital open systems architecture, Bowman communications system, and various mission systems. The Wildcat also features numerous airframe improvements, such as
2480-741: The establishment of that office in 1834. Under the terms of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1866 , the offices of the Comptroller of the Exchequer and the Commissioners of Audit were merged and their duties vested in a new official: the Comptroller and Auditor General (formally the Comptroller General of the Receipt and Issue of Her Majesty's Exchequer and Auditor General of Public Accounts ). The NAO developed from
2542-558: The first Lynx Wildcat conducted the type's maiden flight from AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil , Somerset . On 14 October 2010, the second AW159 performed its first flight; on 19 November 2010, a third Wildcat joined the flight test programme. In July 2009, it was announced that the cost of the Wildcat programme had increased to £1.7 billion. In December 2011, it was reported that four additional Wildcats had been ordered for use by British special forces. These are to be joined by four from
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-509: The first complete airframe to AgustaWestland; the new airframe reportedly had an 80 per cent lower part count than the earlier generation Lynx, which was achieved via the use of monolithic machine components. On 24 April 2009, it was announced that the Future Lynx had been designated AW159 by AgustaWestland, and would be known in British military service as the Wildcat . On 12 November 2009,
2666-478: The following grades: Above director grade, Directors General have responsibility for specific cross NAO functions (such as Audit Practice and Quality, and Finance and Commerce) and Executive Leaders (previously Assistant Auditors General ) support the Board. The NAO has finance, human resource and ICT functions to support its operations. Following the controversy over a previous C&AG's expenses (see Criticisms)
2728-473: The former Exchequer and Audit Department (founded in 1866) in 1983 as the auditor for central government (including most of the externalised agencies and public bodies) as part of an "appropriate mechanism" to check and reinforce departmental balance and matching of quantitative allocation with qualitative purpose (as set out by public policy). The existence and work of the NAO are underpinned by three fundamental principles of public audit: The basic need for
2790-692: The helicopter can operate for over three hours when equipped with the Thales FLASH dipping sonar, two hours with the sonar and one Blue Shark torpedo , and an hour or more with the sonar and two torpedoes; it can also drop sonobuoys . In 2014, it was reported that the AW159 was being considered by the Philippine Navy . In March 2016, AgustaWestland signed a €100 million contract with the Department of National Defense for two helicopters along with training and support. The project aims to provide anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface capabilities to
2852-540: The in-service dates for the BLUH and SCMR programmes were reported as being April 2007 and April 2008 respectively. Early on, AgustaWestland elected to adopt a glass cockpit incorporating electronics upgrades from the AgustaWestland AW101 along with various airframe improvements, such as a redesigned tail rotor and nose along with increased use of machined components over fabricated counterparts. By July 2004,
2914-582: The merger in July 2000, which included a 50-50 ownership structure, and the payment of top-up fees to GKN to compensate for a disparity in profit levels between Agusta and Westland. In January 2002, AgustaWestland announced that it would be cutting a total of 950 jobs in the United Kingdom and closing its factory in Weston-super-Mare , which carried out customer support work, as activity was concentrated at its main site in Yeovil . On 26 May 2004, GKN confirmed that it had agreed to sell its share of AgustaWestland to Finmeccanica for £1.06 billion. The sale
2976-734: The number of helicopters operated by the Royal Malaysian Navy by procuring either the AW159, Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk or the Airbus Helicopters H225M . On 20 April 2016, Finmeccanica (now Leonardo ) signed a teaming agreement with Global Komited, a Malaysian defence company, to jointly promote and distribute the AW159 Wildcat to the Malaysian government. Data from AgustaWestland General characteristics Performance Armament Air-to-surface missile systems and ASW weapons (Naval HMA2 variant): South Korean and Philippine naval loadout Avionics Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists AgustaWestland AgustaWestland
3038-474: The option of upgrading and remanufacturing the first generation Lynx had reportedly been judged to be uneconomical, and the BLUH programme of building a new generation airframe had been given prominence instead. In late 2004, the National Audit Office (NAO) criticised the UK's existing helicopter fleet as being insufficient; concurrently, a major reorganisation of the MOD's procurement process subjected ongoing helicopter programmes to major restructuring. The BLUH
3100-619: The primary human-machine interface , using four 255 x 200mm multifunction displays to provide information to the aircrew and interact with the avionics systems on board. The Wildcat features an increased payload and range over the preceding Super Lynx; it is operationally required to carry up to 8 Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapons up to 185 kilometers from a host ship and remain on station for up to an hour. The type can perform aerial reconnaissance , anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), utility , fire control , command and control , and troop transport duties. In June 2014,
3162-400: The redesigned tail rotor and nose, greater structural strength, and a longer lifespan of 12,000 flight hours. New munitions, such as the Martlet air-to-surface missile and the Sea Venom anti-ship missile, were also integrated. The Wildcat performed its maiden flight on 12 November 2009. On 29 August 2014, the Wildcat AH1 formally entered service with the Army Air Corps ; in early 2015,
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#17327917351403224-425: The report in the Public Private Partnership to maintain the London Underground . The remits of the NAO and the Public Accounts Committee do not allow them to question the policy itself and so VFM reports only examine the implementation of policy. The responsibility for questioning policy is left for other select committees and debating chambers of Parliament, but this has not prevented the PAC being named committee of
3286-407: The same manner as the NAO reports on Central Government. The National Audit Office is a member of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions ( INTOSAI ). The NAO shares knowledge and experience with other Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) around the world and undertakes the audit of some international bodies. For example, between 2010 and 2016 the C&AG was one of three members of
3348-446: The service was intended to operate an all- Merlin fleet. Despite this stated intent, Westland Helicopters continued to hold talks with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to find a future role for the type during the late 1990s; the firm issued multiple proposals to either extend the life of the existing Super Lynx through upgrade programmes or more ambitious remanufacturing programmes incorporating varying degrees of new components. In 2002,
3410-423: The truth and fairness of financial statements; the regularity (or statutory validity) of the expenditure, and; the propriety of the audited body's conduct in accordance with parliamentary, statutory and public expectations. Financial audits are carried out in much the same way as private auditing bodies and the NAO voluntarily applies the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). The NAO is subject to inspection by
3472-457: The type would enter service in 2015. During the trials, a total of 390 deck landings were completed, including 148 night landings, 76 of which being conducted by pilots using night vision goggles . The first production Wildcat was received in May 2012 by the WFT (Army); ZZ406. The Royal Navy received their first airframe at the end of 2013. Further trials of the type were conducted, such as deck landings aboard RFA Mounts Bay . In July 2012,
3534-423: The type. The Royal Navy also commissioned a Wildcat Fielding Squadron, 700W Naval Air Squadron (700W NAS) in 2009. Both units are located at RNAS Yeovilton . In February 2012, a prototype Wildcat (ZZ402) conducted 20 days of trials aboard HMS Iron Duke off the coasts of England and Scotland; the tests involved operating under challenging weather conditions to define ship-helicopter operating limits for when
3596-448: The year in 2006. "Good Governance", an output somewhere between financial and VFM audits, was previously a strand of NAO work, but is no longer a focus of activity. The NAO does, however, publish best practice guidance for public sector organisations. An example includes the fact sheet on governance statements. In addition, the NAO undertakes fast-paced and more narrowly focused work called investigations. The NAO received new powers under
3658-478: 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 Finmeccanica and GKN merged their respective helicopter subsidiaries ( Agusta and Westland Helicopters ) to form AgustaWestland, with each holding a 50% share. Finmeccanica acquired GKN's stake in AgustaWestland in 2004. In 2016, AgustaWestland
3720-469: Was approved by the British government in October 2004. AgustaWestland opened offices in Philadelphia in 2005 and won a contract to build the new presidential helicopter Marine One over the U.S. manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft , but this program was cancelled in 2009. In November 2005, it was announced that AgustaWestland had agreed to acquire Bell Helicopter 's 25 per cent interest in the AB139 medium twin helicopter program, and to increase its interest in
3782-548: Was merged into Leonardo S.p.A. (formerly Finmeccanica), where it became the company's helicopters division under the Leonardo Helicopters brand. The collaboration between Agusta and Westland dates back to 1981, when the two companies established the European Helicopter Industries joint venture with the aim of developing a new medium-size utility helicopter , the EH101 . In March 1999, Finmeccanica and GKN announced their intention to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries. The two parties announced finalised terms for
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#17327917351403844-428: Was reportedly deemed unaffordable, and it was speculated that a more modest sensor fit could be used, as well as the procurement of alternative platforms such as the NHIndustries NH90 , Eurocopter EC120 , or Eurocopter EC635 instead of the Future Lynx. Ultimately, the utility transport aspect of the BLUH requirement was de-emphasised and the programme renamed Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH). In early 2005,
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