EH101

Merlin HC MK3 is the Royal Air Force (RAF) designation for the EH101 utility helicopter. It has been designed to perform medical evacuation, logistic support, troops transport and search and rescue missions. It features a rear ramp for rapid load/unload of troops, cargo and vehicles. An optional air-to-air refueling probe can be installed to extend the range of the EH101 utility helicopter. Small caliber guns can be installed on the Merlin to provide fire support capability. The United Kingdom ordered 22 Merlin HC MK3 helicopters to fill the gap between the Chinook and Cougar helicopters. Japan ordered 5 EH101 civilian helicopters. Italy, Denmark and Portugal ordered 4, 14, and 12 helicopters respectively. On December 22, 2004, AgustaWestland delivered the first of 12 EH101 Merlin helicopters was handed over to Portugal. These helicopters were intended for search and rescue (SAR) missions and combat SAR as well as transport/utility tasks. The 12th and final EH101 was delivered by AgustaWestland to the Portuguese Air Force in mid-July 2006. On January 11, 2005, EH101 program reached an important milestone when the first EH101 helicopter equipped with an all-electric primary flight control system, including electro-mechanical actuators, rolled out of the AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil in the United Kingdom. In early March 2006 the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) awarded the Integrated Merlin Operational Support (IMOS) contract to AgustaWestland. IMOS contract provides logistics support for Royal Navy's EH101 Merlin HM Mk.1 and Royal Air Force Merlin HC Mk.3 helicopter fleets for a 25-year period. The initial contract was valued at £450 million covering the first five years. This initiative was called to increase Merlin availability while delivering support costs savings of approximately £1 billion through to the type out of service date planned for 2029 (Mk.1)/2030 (Mk.3).

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