Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the Brazilian Navy’s Naval Aviation has signed a contract for a major midlife upgrade of eight Lynx Mk21A helicopters. The contract, valued in excess of US$160 million (€117 million), includes replacement of the aircraft’s engines with the CTS800-4N product from LHTEC, navigation, displays suite and mission avionics. A comprehensive support and training package that includes a Flight Training Device is also included in the contract.

The upgrade activities will begin in mid-2015 at AgustaWestland’s plant in Yeovil, United Kingdom, with the first helicopter scheduled to be delivered back to the customer in the Autumn of 2017. The complete batch of upgraded aircraft is planned to be delivered by early 2019.

These upgrades will give Brazil’s Naval Aviation a significant improvement in its capabilities, with better performance, operational range and aircraft mission effectiveness. The upgrade programme provides evidence of the company’s capability and expertise in naval rotorcraft, and further strengthens the long standing partnership with this leading operator which has operated Lynx helicopters since 1978.  

The new generation CTS800-4N engines, already used on the British Army Lynx Mk9A, the Super Lynx 300 and the AW159, will provide the helicopters with major performance improvements in hot and high environments, enabling increased payload and an extended area of operation. A new glass cockpit will be complimented by an advanced avionic suite comprising a tactical processor, satellite based navigation system, traffic collision avoidance system, instrument landing system, radar warning receiver/electronic surveillance measures integrated with countermeasures dispensers and a full Night Vision Goggle compatible cockpit, together with a new electrically powered rescue hoist.