Originally Posted by
Navaleye
I would have thought it would make more sense to put a Merlin on each of the T23s and a Wildcat on the T45s. Interesting that Sea Venom will be carried. I didn't notice they declared IOC.
One wonders what the available numbers of HM2s are. 824 nominally have 8 for training purposes, several are/were involved in Crowsnest D&T, last I heard some are being given the necessary Crowsnest mods and others undergoing normal maintenance. I thought that following their absorbing of 829 the Tigers were the largest Merlin HM.2 unit, so why indeed no Merlin ships flights going along? As part of 42 Commando will be onboard, why no 847 presence or indeed no AH-64s ? (He asked naively - especially with the majority of the latter having gone to Huntsville for parts recovery. )
Four 815 NAS Wildcats will be embarked in HMSs Kent, Richmond, Defender and Diamond. "Bringing Martlet, Sea Venom, M3M, Snipers and Stingray to the strike group to protect HMSQNLZ."
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Earlier this month HMS Seahawk tweeted a short video for consumption by Joe/Jo Public narrated by 820's SOBS (Baggers) Lt Cdr Phil Clark. I gather they will have a crew of 1P & 2Os like their predecessors.
https://tinyurl.com/j4cae7et