The Sikorsky S-70 series was designed to meet a requirement of the US Army for a utility tactical transport aircraft system (UTTAS), winning a contest in 1976 against a design from Boeing Vertol.

The prototype of the Venom series (VV612) was flown for the first time on 2 September 1949, and subsequently it was built in two main variants, the FB Mk 1 and the FB Mk 4, some 383 and 150 examples of each model respectively being built for the RAF.

Now more than 65 years old, and after the completion of some 2,960 examples, the last being delivered in February 1979, the Skyhawk series proved to be one of the most versatile shipboard attack aircraft, and was still in service with a few airforces at the turn of the century.