picture: lee howard
... and lost Lynx May 21 1982 XZ251 HAS Mk2 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Ardent. Destroyed during bombing raids in Falklands; went down with the ship May 25 1982 XZ242 HAS Mk2 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Coventry. Lost with the ship. XZ700 HAS Mk2 of 815 NAS transported by Atlantic Conveyor. Lost when ship was hit by Exocet September 30 1982 XZ247 HAS Mk2 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Ambuscade. Ditched and sank 80 miles northwest of Lewis after a fire in the cabin roof. All three crew were rescued. May 4 1983 XZ249 HAS2 Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Avenger. Ditched in the Gulf of Oman after tail rotor failure. All crew rescued. March 10 1983 XZ243 HAS Mk3 of 702 NAS. Crashed into the sea off Portugal during a night approach to RFA Engadine killing both crew.
May 14 1989 XZ244 HAS Mk3 of 829 NAS assigned to HMS Brilliant. Crashed into the bush 18 miles outside Mombasa, Kenya, when the port cabin door detached, hit the tail rotor and caused the tail rotor pylon to break off. All nine aboard died.
October 27 2001 ZD253 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Marlborough. Crashed into the Arabian Sea when an Omani warship ran into it from behind during exercises, entangling the rotor blades in the rigging. All crew survived.
March 26 1994 ZD567 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Argyll. Crashed off Andros Island in the Bahamas while practising for an air display. Crew survived but the helicopter sank in 5,000ft of water.
July 12 2002 XZ256 HMA Mk8 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Richmond. Double engine failure 190 miles off Norfolk, Virginia, caused the helicopter to crash and sink in 4,000 metres of water. Two of the three crew were killed.
February 18 1997 XZ728 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Monmouth. Broke free on the flight deck in rough sea and washed over the side 15 miles south of Eddystone. Both crew rescued. Helicopter recovered and now serves as a gate guardian at Yeovilton.
December 8 2004 XZ724 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Portland. Crashed into the sea west of Portland during a night-time search for people reported in the water. All four aboard killed.
September 23 1998 ZD256 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Grafton. Crashed into the South China Sea during a night exercise. Pilot survived, but the observer was killed. November 2 1998 XZ230 HAS Mk3 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Newcastle. Engulfed in heavy swell with engine running on flight deck. Waves shattered the tail rotor drive shaft.
August 11 1986 A specially-modified Lynx with souped-up engines sets the helicopter world speed record (which still stands) of 249.06 knots. The speed of the tips of the rotor blades was just shy of supersonic – Mach 0.97. www.navynews.co.uk
March 3 2005 XZ695 HMA Mk8 of 815 NAS assigned to HMS Nottingham. Ran out of fuel while returning to ship in the Indian Ocean and forced to ditch. All crew rescued, but the helicopter sank.
January 1991 Lynx Mk3 armed with Sea Skua eliminate the bulk of the Iraqi Navy at the Battle of Bubiyan June 1992 Orders placed for the first Lynx Mk8
Lynx Apotheosis: Mk8 SATURN Aircraft: Westland Lynx HMA8 Engines: 2 x 900hp Rolls-Royce GEM turbines Rotor Span: 12.8m (42ft) Length: 13.4m (44ft) Weight: 3.3 tonnes (7,275lbs) Speed: 180kt Crew: one pilot; one observer; one aircrewman Endurance: 320 nautical miles Sensors: SATURN (Second-generation Anti-jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO) Radio; Successor to IFF); Sea Owl Passive Identification Device (PID); 360˚ radar Weapons: 4 x Sea Skua missiles; 2 x Sting Ray torpedoes or Mk 11 Mod 3 depth charge; 2 x 12.7mm machine-gun pods; 1 x M3M heavy-machine gun Defensive Aids Suite The Mk8 features improved targeting systems and computer displays. The large electro-optical sensor on the nose is used for target identification, using infrared to discriminate differences in temperature of targets at significant ranges. It is controlled by a joystick in the cockpit and the picture can be displayed on the tactical display or radar screen. The various additions and enhancements make the Mk8 450kg (1,000lbs) heavier than its predecessor, six knots slower and not quite as manoeuvrable.
2002 Final Lynx Mk8 are delivered March 2006 Government commits £1bn to ‘Future Lynx’ programme for the Army and Navy MARCH 2017 : 25