LYNX HAS 3 HMA 8 'Super Lynx'

The British Royal Navy's HMA 8 'Super Lynx' is a versatile naval helicopter able to carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface and search and rescue missions. The Royal Navy operate HMA8 Lynx from all their escort ships, destroyers and frigates.

A Royal Navy HMA 8 Lynx.

The HMA 8 Lynx carries a suite of sophisticated sensors including a 360° search radar which is used to guide Sea Skua anti-ship missiles. A Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) pod is gimble-mounted atop the HMA 8's chin, above the radar. When hunting submarines, the HMA8 can lower a AN/AQS-18 dipping sonar beneath the water's surface or deploy a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD).

The Lynx can carry up to 9 fully-laden troops in the rear cabin and can be equipped with a pintle-mounted door gun. A Royal Navy HMA 8 Lynx took part in, Operation Barras, the rescue of captured British soldiers in Sierra Leone, 2000. Armed with a 7.62mm minigun, the Navy lynx provided close air support and was on casevac standby for the Special Forces troops involved.

LYNX HAS 3 HMA 8 Specifications

The Super Lynx's chin houses a 360 ° search radar (below), with a range of 25 miles, and a Sea Owl thermal imager (top).

Crew	Pilot, Co-pilot + up to 2 cabin crew
Engines	2× Rolls Royce Gem 42-1 turboshaft engines (835kW)
Dimensions	L - 11.92m W (rotor diameter) - 12.8m H - 3.2m
Weights	3,030 kg (empty) 4,876 kg (max loadout)
Max Speed	232 kph
Range	1,046 km (with external fuel tanks)
Armament	4x Sea Skua anti-surface missiles 2x Mk44 or Mk46 torpedoes or 2x Stingray torpedoes MK II depth charges 1x 7.62mm GPMG door gun
Avionics	Seaspray Mark 1 360° radar Sea Owl thermal imager AN/AQS-18 dipping sonar TK AN/AAR-47 missile warner Selex Sensors & Airborne Systems AN/ALQ-144A infrared jammer Selex M147 flare dispenser 1553B data bus

Lynx HMA 8s can carry Sea Skua missiles on 2 pylons. The Sea Skua has a range of 10 miles and was used to great effect by the British during the 1982 Falklands War.

The Super Lynx can carry a selection of sonar-homing anti-submarine ordnance including mk44. mk46 or Stingray torpedoes and a range of depth-charges.

LYNX HAS 3 HMA 8 FEATURES

composite & light allow airframe
DAS defensive suite
non-retractable landing-gear with rotating wheels
cargo hook can carry up to 1,360kg of stores slung beneath the helicopter
data link for sharing sensor data with compatible ships
composite rotor blades

Royal Navy HMA 8 Lynx flying past U.S. Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) in the Mediterranean Sea whilst on an exercise. Note the Sea Owl gimble-mounted FLIR pod mounted above the Seaspray radar dome in the aircraft's chin.

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Timm Duckworth

INTERNAL LINKS
Lynx HMA 8 photos:
Royal Navy Lynx HMA 8