Brazilian Navy’s first upgraded Super Lynx helicopter performs maiden flight

The Brazilian Navy’s first upgraded Super Lynx Mk21B helicopter has performed its maiden flight from the Yeovil facility in southwest England.

The flight success was announced by aerospace and defense company Leonardo which is in charge of upgrading eight Mk21B helicopters under a US$160 million contract from 2014.

The upgrades include the replacement of aircraft engines with the CTS800-4N product from LHTEC and new navigation, display suites and mission avionics. A support and training package that includes a Flight Training Device is also part of the contract.

The new-generation CTS800-4N engines, already used on the Super Lynx 300 and the AW159 helicopters, will provide the helicopters with major performance improvements, Leonardo says, especially in hot environments, increasing payload and mission effectiveness.

A new glass cockpit will be complimented by an advanced avionic suite comprising a tactical processor, satellite based navigation system, civil navigation aids including a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), Automatic Identification System (AIS), radar warning receiver/electronic surveillance measures integrated with countermeasures dispensers and a full Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit, together with a new electrically powered rescue hoist.

The complete batch of upgraded aircraft is planned to be delivered by early 2019.

The Brazilian Navy has been operating variants of the Lynx helicopter for nearly 40 years having received nine Lynx Mk21 helicopters in 1978. In July 1996 the Brazilian Navy received the first of nine Super Lynx Mk21A aircraft. It also upgraded five of its original Lynx Mk21 aircraft to Mk21A standard under the same contract.