AgustaWestland, Four AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300 maritime helicopters were yesterday officially handed over to the South African Navy in a ceremony held at Simon’s Town Naval Base, South Africa in the presence of the South African Minister of Defence H.E. Mr M.G Lekota, Chief of the SA Air Force Lt Gen C Gagiano, R.Adm Magalefa acting Chief of SA Navy and Mr H.S Thomo CEO Armscor.
John Ponsonby, Senior Vice President Training, AgustaWestland said “Today marks the start of a new era in South African naval aviation and we are all proud that AgustaWestland is playing a major part in the South African National Defence Force’s modernisation plans. The Super Lynx is renowned throughout the world as the best small ship helicopter and will perform an important role in securing the territorial and political interests of South Africa.”
The helicopters, which were ordered in 2003, represent the latest variant of the Super Lynx – the world’s most successful small ship helicopter. All four Super Lynx 300 Mk 64 aircraft for South Africa, which will be operated by the Air Force for the Navy, were delivered to South Africa in July 2007.
Pilot and ground crew conversion training was completed in May 2007 by AgustaWestland at its Customer Training Centre in Yeovil and a team comprising a pilot, two service engineers and an In-service manager from AgustaWestland are assisting the South African Air Force during its introduction into operational service.
The aircraft will be deployed on the South African Navy Valour-class frigates performing anti-surface warfare, maritime patrol and SAR roles. The fully marinised Super Lynx 300 aircraft for South Africa are equipped with a range of advanced sensors including a Telephonics APS-143B 360 degree scan search radar, a nose mounted FLIR from Denel Optronics and an advanced Electronics Support Measures system from Sysdel CC. The aircraft also have a comprehensive communications suite sourced from South Africa comprising HF, V/UHF radios and a data link making them the most advanced version of the Super Lynx 300 helicopter developed and produced so far.
As part of the programme AgustaWestland has undertaken a large industrial participation project that has seen a range of South African designed equipment incorporated into the Super Lynx 300 aircraft, as well as components and equipment being manufactured by companies such as Aerosud and Denel SAAB Aerostructures for other AgustaWestland aircraft programmes providing work and technology transfer benefits.
In parallel with this defence based activity, AgustaWestland has undertaken a civil offset programme in South Africa involving over twenty projects which to date have created or safeguarded nearly 2000 jobs, most of which are for previously disadvantaged individuals.
South Africa is the fourth operator of the Super Lynx 300 following Malaysia, Thailand and Oman who operate the aircraft in a range of maritime and land based roles. The Super Lynx 300 is the latest version of the Lynx helicopter family of which over 420 have now been ordered by 17 customers around the world.
The Super Lynx 300 is powered by two 1015 kW (1361 shp) LHTEC CTS800-4N engines giving it exceptionally good hot weather and single engine performance. Flight and sensor information is displayed on a fully integrated six screen colour LCD cockpit display system, enabling greater crew effectiveness.
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