Polish Navy AW101

[nova10]

Greetings and salutation,

Does anybody know if the AW101 helicopters ordered by the Polish Navy have folding tails and rotors or not? Cheers.

 

[TomS]

Greetings and salutation,

Does anybody know if the AW101 helicopters ordered by the Polish Navy have folding tails and rotors or not? Cheers.

Pics of the Polish AW101 show "boots" on the blade roots. I don't see those boots on the Merlin Mk4, which do have powered blade fold, so I suspect the Polish ones do not. But that's basically a SWAG.

 

[nova10]

Hi Tom. Thanks for answering. What does SWAG stand for? I'm asking because I'm wondering if the Polish Navy will deploy their AW101 from the ARROWHEAD 140 frigates. Folding tails and rotors will allow them to do so.

 

[TomS]

SWAG=Semi-wild-ass guess.

Edit:
I see one article that suggests the Polish AW101s do not have a folding tail, which limits their ability to fit the new frigates.

Miecznik: The Current State of the Most Important Modernisation Programme of the Polish Navy – MILMAG

The second press briefing on the implementation of the Miecznik (“Swordfish”) Programme, which took place on 8 April in Gdynia, provided information on the current progress of the project, as well as further details on the selected configuration of the armament system of the planned series of ships.

milmag.pl

On board the Miecznik will be a space for a maximum of two large Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters, although actually one because only one can be placed in the hangar. Analyses are currently being carried out as to whether it will be possible to redesign the ship in such a way that it will accommodate a helicopter of a type without a folded tail boom, i.e. the Merlin aircraft which have been ordered for the needs of the Aviation Group in Darłowo of the 44th Naval Aviation Base.This text comes from MILMAG Military Magazine. Read more on:https://milmag.pl/en/miecznik-the-c...t-modernisation-programme-of-the-polish-navy/

I know there was also (c. 2020) a requirement for a small number of much lighter helicopters to replace the SH-2G aboard other ships.

Polish Navy seeks Multi-Role Helicopters

The Armament Inspectorate announced that a technical dialogue has been launched with regards to a “Multi-role [Naval] Embarked Helicopter for the Polish Navy”. Most probably the aircraft would operate from the OHP frigates and ORP Ślązak patrol vessel. Potentially they could also get embarked on...

defence24.com

(This article from 2020 mentions the AS565 Panther or the AW159 Wildcat as candidates)

Poland’s Diverse Military Air Requirements - Armada International

Poland’s Air Force acquisition programmes that strive to replace Soviet-era airframes with NATO compatible ones have suffered from frequent delays.

www.armadainternational.com

(This one from 2021 mentions Wildcat or the Bell 412)

 

[riggerrob]

SWAG means "scientific wild-assed guess." Basically an informed guess that even the author/speaker/originator suspects may be inaccurate.

 

[TomS]

SWAG means "scientific wild-assed guess." Basically an informed guess that even the author/speaker/originator suspects may be inaccurate.

That's a better version.

 

[Trident]

Probably intended as a form/fit/function replacement of the land-based Mi-14?

 

[nova10]

And here's me thinking that SWAG was some official military acronym to do with a swashplate!

 

[nova10]

SWAG=Semi-wild-ass guess.

Edit:
I see one article that suggests the Polish AW101s do not have a folding tail, which limits their ability to fit the new frigates.

Miecznik: The Current State of the Most Important Modernisation Programme of the Polish Navy – MILMAG

The second press briefing on the implementation of the Miecznik (“Swordfish”) Programme, which took place on 8 April in Gdynia, provided information on the current progress of the project, as well as further details on the selected configuration of the armament system of the planned series of ships.

milmag.pl

On board the Miecznik will be a space for a maximum of two large Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters, although actually one because only one can be placed in the hangar. Analyses are currently being carried out as to whether it will be possible to redesign the ship in such a way that it will accommodate a helicopter of a type without a folded tail boom, i.e. the Merlin aircraft which have been ordered for the needs of the Aviation Group in Darłowo of the 44th Naval Aviation Base.This text comes from MILMAG Military Magazine. Read more on:https://milmag.pl/en/miecznik-the-c...t-modernisation-programme-of-the-polish-navy/

I know there was also (c. 2020) a requirement for a small number of much lighter helicopters to replace the SH-2G aboard other ships.

Polish Navy seeks Multi-Role Helicopters

The Armament Inspectorate announced that a technical dialogue has been launched with regards to a “Multi-role [Naval] Embarked Helicopter for the Polish Navy”. Most probably the aircraft would operate from the OHP frigates and ORP Ślązak patrol vessel. Potentially they could also get embarked on...

defence24.com

(This article from 2020 mentions the AS565 Panther or the AW159 Wildcat as candidates)

Poland’s Diverse Military Air Requirements - Armada International

Poland’s Air Force acquisition programmes that strive to replace Soviet-era airframes with NATO compatible ones have suffered from frequent delays.

www.armadainternational.com

(This one from 2021 mentions Wildcat or the Bell 412)

I realise that the SH-2G needs replacing nearly as urgently as the Mil-14 but as the Polish Navy could only afford four out of the eight required AW101 you would think that they would ensure their AW101 would be shipboard compatible with the Miecznik class frigates.

 

[TomS]

Probably intended as a form/fit/function replacement of the land-based Mi-14?

The AW101s? Yes, that was definitely the original intent.

I realise that the SH-2G needs replacing nearly as urgently as the Mil-14 but as the Polish Navy could only afford four out of the eight required AW101 you would think that they would ensure their AW101 would be shipboard compatible with the Miecznik class frigates.

Thing is, if there is a real need for those four or more land-based helicopters, it would be a mistake to try to task them with the shipboard mission as well. You'd just end up with an over-stretched force that can't accomplish any of its missions well. Buying something else (whether cheaper light helos or a second batch of shipboard-capable AW101) is the only way to get an effective shipboard helo force while still performing the land-based mission.

Honestly, Polish naval procurement confuses me. The two relatively high-mix (expensive) frigates seem like a poor solution to their needs in the Baltic. I think the previously planned force of corvettes would have been much more useful.