Helicopters

The Support Helicopter Force (SHF) is tasked by Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) alongside the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force and various Army squadrons. It comprises seven squadrons equipped with 40 Chinook HC.2s and HC.2As, 28 Merlin HC.3 and HC.3As and 38 Puma HC.1s. SHF provides battlefield support and mobility to the troops on the ground.

Its fleet has always been heavily utilised, but the rate has increased greatly in recent years. A long-standing need to increase JHC’s fleet has been partially fulfilled by the acquisition of six Merlin Mk.512s (as HC.3As) originally destined for Denmark. These allowed 78 Squadron to convert to the Merlin, its previous Falklands-based Sea King HAR.3 incarnation returning to its previous identity as 1564 Flight. The operational standup of the squadron took place at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, on 3 December 2007, when it assumed joint responsibility for 28(AC) Squadron’s Merlin detachment already in Iraq.

The second augmentation for SHF will be the modification of the eight Chinook HC.3s, originally intended to support the Special Forces, for the support helicopter role. The decision was also taken to extend the service life of Puma HC.1s to 2022, instead of withdrawing them from service in 2010. Eurocopter is currently in the process of installing new turboméca Makila turboshafts, a ‘glass’ cockpit and communication, navigation and defensive systems in the old airframes to upgrade them to Puma 2 aircraft.

Outside the Joint Helicopter Command, the RAF has a fleet of 25 Westland Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3As for Search And Rescue (SAR) operations. Six detachments are maintained by 22 and 202 Squadrons for SAR over land and sea, while 203(R) Squadron at RAF Valley acts as the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). In addition to the Sea Kings, three Bell Griffin HAR.2s are flown by 84 Squadron, the only RAF flying unit based at RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus.