Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Anti-submarine warfare and search-and-rescue helicopter

Power Plant:

Two 1,119 kw (1,500 shp) Rolls Royce Gnome 1400-1 turboshafts

Specifications:

History:

The Westland Sea King was derived from the Sikorsky S-61 series of helicopters, which had been designed to meet the requirements of the US Navy for an anti-submarine search-and-strike helicopter.  The basic design was developed to meet various requirements, and was built under licence in the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy for anti-submarine warfare, and in search-and-rescue duties.  The first Westland Sea King was first flown on 30 June 1974 and was a modified licence-built version of the Sikorsky S-61B. Apart from equipment, the Sea King was essentially similar to the US Navy Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King, with the Gnome turboshaft engines being licence-built derivatives of the General Electric T-58.

In 1969 the Australian Government was looking at replacing the Westland Wessex helicopter which had been in service with the RAN since 1962.  Aircraft to be evaluated involved the Westland Sea King HAS Mk 1, an anglicised Sikorsky design built under licence for the Royal Navy; the Sud Aviation SA 321 Super Frelon in service with the French Navy; the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight at the time in service with the Royal Swedish Navy; and the Sikorsky S-61 Sea King then in service with the US Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy.

A RAN Helicopter Evaluation Team was formed to evaluate and recommend a replacement helicopter and departed Canberra, ACT in September 1969 on a three month itinerary which included six weeks in the United Kingdom, France and Sweden; and a further five to six weeks in North America visiting Canada and the United States.  In November 1969 the Evaluation Team returned to Australia where reports were submitted in relation to the Westland Sea King HAS Mk 1; the Sud Aviation SA 321 Super Frelon; and the Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King.  It is interesting to note both the British and American Sea Kings failed to meet RAN specifications, particularly in relation to requirements for endurance, sortie length in tropical conditions, and emergency landing and take-off from the sea in the ‘one-engine out’ condition.

Following this another helicopter was considered and evaluated in the final report in an attempt to overcome the deficiencies in the Royal Navy Sea King, this being a machine which would be equipped with up-rated Rolls Royce Gnome engines (which at that time had not been fully developed), a six-blade tail rotor, and a five-blade main rotor to absorb the increased power.  Also, the installation of a Bendix AWS-13B sonar in lieu of the British AS 195 sonar.

The final report of the Evaluation Team recommended that the Australian Government acquire the Sud Aviation Super Frelon as it met all RAN specifications in the configuration it was being flown in at that time by the French Navy.  The in-service Sea King variants from the United States and the Royal Navy were considered inferior and the developed RAN Sea King proposal referred to above was considered to involve some developmental risks.

In October 1971 Aerospatiale had talks with the Australian Department of Defence in relation to the ordering of a batch of Super Frelons for the Royal Australian Navy, media reports stating that 15 to 20 examples would be required.  In the event the Department of Defence authorised the acquisition of the British-built Sea King and this, as the Sea King Mk 50, entered Australian Navy service.

In the final wash up ten Sea King Mk 50s were supplied to the RAN for operation from the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.  Developed specifically for the RAN, they were known in the United Kingdom as the Sea King Mk 2.  These differed from the Mk 1 then in service in that country by having up-rated engines, a six-blade tail rotor in lieu of the previous five-blade component, increased maximum take-off weight, and improved avionics.

The first Mk 50 (N16-098) of the Australian order was in fact the first Mk 2, and was flown for the first time on 30 June 1974.  The better performance of the Mk 50 (Mk 2) over the Mk 1 resulted in orders being placed for this model, which was built as the HAS Mk 2 for search-and-rescue work for the RAF; the HC Mk 4 for the Royal Navy, and the HAR Mk 3 transport version for the RN.

The Australian machines were delivered by merchant ships between May and October 1975, entering service with HS 817 Squadron, this unit becoming operational in the anti-submarine role in February 1976, and was subsequently deployed on board HMAS Melbourne, also being used in the medevac, vertrep, personnel transfer and troop lift roles, as well as search-and-rescue.

RAN Sea Kings were serialled in the N16 series and carried the large code numbers on the fuselage 01 to 10.  After retirement of the HMAS Melbourne the type was regularly deployed on board HMAS Tobruk and HMAS Stalwart.   Initially it was proposed to retire the type in 1997 but in 1993 it was announced there would be a life extension programme for the type, this being aimed at replacing avionics and converting the machines to better operate in the utility role, the aircraft becoming known as the Mk 50A. First machine so converted (N16-118) was delivered to the Navy in January 1996.  The Sea King could carry an external load of 2,725 kg (6,000 lb). The type was called on to assist in the bushfire fighting role and in 1991 the type was used in supporting the community during floods around Nyngan, NSW.

In 1992 the hangar on board HMAS Success was modified to take the type and HS 817 maintained a permanent one aircraft detachment on board.  The type saw service overseas on board other Australian Navy ships, including HMAS Tobruk in Somalia, and as part of the South Pacific Peace Keeping Force in 1994.  In later times the type operated from HMAS Kanimbla, HMAS Manoora and HMAS Westralia, the RAN transport ships, in the vertical replenishment role.

Serials allotted to the type were: N16-098 (c/n WA787 – ex G-17-1) which ditched alongside HMAS Melbourne on 23 May 1979;  N16-100 (c/n WA788 – ex G-17-2); N16-112 (c/n WA789 – ex G-BCHY, G-17-3) which ditched off Port Kembla, NSW on 15 July 1986;  N16-113 (c/n WA790 – ex G-BCHZ, G-17-4) which ditched off Kiama, NSW on 30 November 1976;  N16-114 (c/n WA791 – ex G-BCIA, G-17-5);  N16-117 (c/n WA792 – ex G-17-6) which ditched off Nowra, NSW on 21 October 1975;  N16-118 (c/n WA793 – ex G-17-7);  N16-119 (c/n WA794 – ex G-17-8) which was lost when it flew into the water off the Western Australian coast near Cocos Islands on 9 May 1977; N16-124 (c/n WA795 – ex G-17-9) crashed when it flew into the ground at night near Bamaga, QLD on Cape York Peninsula on 30 July 1995 whilst engaged on a medevac mission; and N16-125 (c/n WA796 – ex G-17-10).

Following the loss of a number during RAN service, a further two were obtained as attrition replacements, these being delivered in 1981, becoming N16-238 (c/n WA929 – ex G-17-12) and N16-239 (c/n WA930 – ex G-17-13).  A further machine was received at Nowra in September 1996, being a JU.5 obtained from the UK, N16-918 (c/n WA878 – ex XZ918) which was also put through the life extension programme.

On 2 April 2005 N16-100 (02) was lost whilst performing humanitarian work in Indonesia on the island of Nias and this resulted in the grounding of the type for some months until inspections and checks revealed the type could resume service.  An inquiry into this crash revealed problems with serviceability and spares for the aircraft.

The type soldiered on in the utility role, the RAN continuing with the type in service until 2008 when a new heavy-lift helicopter was to be obtained as a replacement.  The type in its final years lost its anti-submarine capability and was spending its last days before retirement in the maritime utility role, transferring stores and personnel to vessels at sea, delivering boarding parties to ships for inspections, search-and-rescue, casevac tasks and providing targeting and radar searches in support of surface ships.

In late 2011 RAN surviving Sea King Mk 50As were offered for sale to interested parties by the Department of Defence, these being N16-114, N16-125, N16-238, N16-239 and N16-918, along with three former Royal Navy HAS.6s comprising XZ571 (c/n WA839), XV674 (c/n WA662) and XV710 (c/n WA681).  The latter three had been obtained from Royal Navy stocks for breaking down for spare parts.

On Thursday, 15 December 2011, three Sea Kings made a farewell in formation and flew over Sydney to mark the retirement of the type from RAN service.  By February 2013 it was announced the surviving Sea Kings would be sold to Aerospace Logistics Ltd to be broken up and used for spares and six were noted at Horsham in Sussex, UK in June 2014.  One example “Shark 07” was preserved for the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra, NSW.