Aircraft of the ADF — Westland Sea King 50

The first Australian aircraft, serialled N16-098, marked with a British civil testing registration of G-17-1, flew at Yeovil on June 30 1974. The aircraft was flown by RAN crews from July, but Westland’s records show that it was not handed over to the RAN until March 1975. The 10 RAN aircraft were delivered consecutively off the Westland production line, with constructor’s numbers WA787 to WA796. RAN crews began converting on Sea Kings in the UK from mid 1974, and on October 23 the RAN Sea King Flight was formed at the RN helicopter base, RNAS Culdrose, in Cornwall. All 10 RAN helicopters were delivered to Australia by merchant vessel over May to October 1975. On June 10 1975, the Minister for Defence was able to announce that the first two aircraft had arrived at Nowra and were being assembled. N16-118 was the first to fly in Australia that month. HS-817 commenced to re-equip with the Sea King immediately, and on June 23, three aircraft (N16-117, -118 and -119) were demonstrated in Canberra. Under the new Fleet Air Arm organisation, HT-723 would operate the Wessex in a utility role, with HT-725 being disbanded on December 27 1975, as Sea King training would be undertaken inhouse by 817.

On February 2 1976, HS-817 was declared as an operational ASW squadron, with the secondary tasks of medevac, troop lift, vertical replenishment and search and rescue (SAR). Operations were conducted from the carrier HMAS Melbourne, and from the RAN’s shore base, HMAS Albatross. After the loss of four aircraft over 1975-79 (the two in late 1975 being due to hydraulic oil loss leading to transmission failures and ditchings), on February 19 1980, the acquisition of two more Sea Kings was announced in the defence expansion plan by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. These attrition aircraft were ordered in September 1980, and were designated Mark 50As.

The new aircraft differed from the original Mark 50 in having a larger cabin, and the first, N16-238, flew on December 7 1982. The other, N16-239, flew on February 9 1983, and both machines were accepted early that year.

The Sea King carried out trials during 1983 on HMAS Adelaide, to establish flying envelopes for the helicopter’s operations from the FFG frigates. The clearance and certification program involved day and night operation, in various sea states and with different weight configurations. With the retirement of HMAS Melbourne in June 1982, the Sea Kings of HS-817 Squadron were now shore based at Albatross, and continued in the anti-submarine role, in addition to vertical onboard delivery (VOD) resupply tasks in support of the fleet. Sea Kings have normally been embarked on both HMAS Stalwart and HMAS Tobruk, and more recently, on HMAS Success. Additional duties have involved search and rescue (SAR) and medevac missions. During 1985, after one of HC-723’s Squirrels had made a forced landing into a paddock north of Albatross, extraction by Sea King was determined the most expedient method of returning the Squirrel to base. Sea King N16-239 lifted out the Squirrel by “sling load”, and completed the task the same day. The same Sea King subsequently carried a Sikorsky S-55 helicopter, VH-ORA, that had been donated to the Naval Aviation Museum from Bankstown to Albatross.

Another RAN Sea King trial was conducted during November 1987. This involved a helicopter, modified by Hawker de Havilland, conducting mine sweeping trials in Jervis Bay. The trial was to assess the feasibility of aerial minesweeping as part of the RAN’s minesweeper project. Overall, a total of 330 Sea Kings were produced by Westland at the Yeovil plant, in the following versions:

Has.1

56 of the original ASW variant for the RN built over 1969-72, most converted to HAS.2

Has.2

21 additional improved variants for the RN, built over 1976-79, some as AEW aircraft, converted to HAS.5

Har.3

19 SAR aircraft for the RAF, built over 1977-85, plus a further 6 HAR.3A built in 1995

Hc.4

43 transport variants for the RN, over 1979-90

Has.5

30 improved ASW/SAR variants for the RN, over 1980-86, plus 56 HAS.1 and HAS.2 upgraded, including some to AEW (AEW.5), SAR (HAR.5) and utility transport (HU.5) configurations

Has.6

5 ASW variants for RN over 1989-90, plus 25 HAS.5 upgraded with enhanced avionics and sonar

Aew 7

Proposed upgrade of AEW.2 with new radar, data link and tactical system, planned to enter service in 2000

Mk 41

23 for SAR for German Navy 1972-75

Mk 42

42 for ASW with Indian Navy, including Mks 42A, 42B and 42C, built over 1971-1990

Mk 43

16 SAR variants for Norwegian Air Force, including 43A and 43B, built over 1972-96

Mk 45

6 for ASW, equivalent to HAS.1, for Pakistan Navy, 1974-77, plus one ex RN HAS.5 in 1989

Mk 47

6 for ASW, equivalent to HAS.2, for Egyptian Navy, 1975-76

Mk 48

5 for SAR with Belgian Air Force, equivalent to HAR.3, 1975-76, shortly to be upgraded

Mk 50

10 for RAN, built over 1974-75, and further 2 50A, 1982-83.

In addition, 40 aircraft were completed between 1973 and 1983 as Westland Commando troop transports, and delivered to the Egyptian and Qatari militaries. From 1990, with the withdrawal of the RAN’s Wessexes, the Sea Kings were modified with composite main rotor blades to extend their operational lives.

Although no RAN Sea Kings were embarked during the Australian deployment to the 1991 Gulf War, one RAN Sea King pilot was recognised for his courage during the conflict. LCDR Peter Nelson was on exchange with the Royal Navy, flying Sea King HC.4s with 845 Naval Air Commando Squadron in the tactical airlift role in support of the British 1st Armoured Division, as part of the RAF commanded support helicopter force. On February 26 1991, flying Sea King HC.4 ZD480, during one extraction using night vision goggles in appalling weather at night, and in full view of an ongoing British-Iraqi tank battle, Nelson rescued a wounded British soldier and a wounded Iraqi POW. Recognising his skill as captain of the helicopter resulted in the British awarding Nelson the Air Force Cross (AFC). Perhaps the combat nature of this daring exploit should have resulted in the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). This remains a point of conjecture.

Despite not deploying to the Gulf, RAN Sea Kings have been involved in other potential hot spots. During 1994, a Sea King was embarked aboard HMAS Tobruk in support of the ADF deployment to Somalia. Later that year, Tobruk also deployed to Bougainville in anticipation of trouble caused by the separatist movement in conflict with PNG forces. During this deployment, the aircraft (N16-124), captained by Lieutenant Greg Edmistone, sustained a hit by a 7.62mm round.

Also during 1994, the Navy announced its plans to delay the purchase of a new utility helicopter, and instead provide a life of type extension (LOTE) for the remaining seven Sea Kings. The update includes avionics, including VOR and ILS aviads, aircraft systems, new cargo floors, increased cabin space and a flight simulator upgrade. The upgrade program was awarded to Westland, with British Aerospace Australia at HMAS Albatross as the major subcontractor, at a cost of $58 million, and will see all aircraft becoming the Mark 50A. The first aircraft completed, N16-118, was delivered in January 1996, and the last should be completed by the end of the year.

However, after the loss of N16-124 in July 1995, when it flew into the ground while holding at night in poor weather on a medevac mission near Bamaga on Cape York Peninsula, only six aircraft were available for upgrade. As a result, a further Sea King has been purchased in the UK. This aircraft, a former RN HU.5 serialled XZ918, had previously been converted from a HAS.5. Sailing from England by merchant vessel on July 14 1996, XZ918 was received at Albatross at the beginning of September, and is the last Sea King undergoing the LOTE program. The LOTE will take the Sea King’s service life out to at least 2008.

In the updated role, the Sea Kings are expected to operate from the two Training and Helicopter Support Ships (THSS) which have recently been redesignated LPAs – HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Manoora – which were acquired surplus from the US Navy in 1994. In addition, HS-817’s Sea Kings also operate from the fleet supply ship, HMAS Success. Although HS-817 no longer has the ASW mission, there is currently no plan to redesignate the squadron as HU-817, to signify a utility helo unit.

Note:

Receipt Dates:

Receipt date is when the aircraft were officially accepted by the RAN at the Westland factory at Yeovil.

Colour Schemes:

All aircraft were delivered in the hitherto standard light grey with white upper fuselage. The new scheme, in which three aircraft have now been repainted is an overall darker grey.

Side Codes:

Side code numbers allocated by the RAN were in the 900 series, however, only the last two digits were applied to the aircraft.