AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the successful first flight of the British Army’s first Lynx AH Mk.9A fitted with more powerful CTS800 engines, just 10 months after contract award. The maiden flight, lasting 60 minutes, took place today at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility with the aircraft handling as expected. Graham Cole, Managing Director, AgustaWestland, said after the flight “I am delighted that the first flight has been achieved in such a short period after contract award. The rapid progress we have been able to make on this programme highlights the benefits of partnering, under the framework of the Strategic Partnering Arrangement, which will see these aircraft being back on the front line supporting our troops in the shortest possible time.”

The first four of the 12 aircraft will be delivered in late 2009 and the remaining eight will be delivered in 2010. The CTS800-4N engines and associated equipment are being pulled forward from the AW159 Lynx Wildcat programme. The new engines produce 37% more power than the current Gem engines that are fitted to the Lynx AH Mk.9 giving the aircraft a significant increase in power which will allow the aircraft to operate in extreme hot and high conditions at high weights. In December 2008 the UK Ministry of Defence signed a contract with AgustaWestland to pull forward AW159 Lynx Wildcat programme technologies to provide a rapid upgrade for 12 British Army Lynx AH Mk.9 aircraft with CTS800-4N engines to significantly improve the performance of these aircraft in hot and high operating conditions, such as those found in Afghanistan.