Westland WS-61 Sea King

Westland WS-61 Sea King. Photo by Keith Campbell

The Westland Sea King was built by Westland Helicopters under license in Great Britain and is a version of the American Sikorsky S-61 Helicopter. The Aircraft differs considerably from the American version and is fitted with British anti-submarine warfare systems and Rolls-Royce Gnome engines. The Aircraft's first flight was in 1969 and 344 were built. Some of the uses of the Sea King are search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare and troop transport. The Sea King has served during several different conflicts, including the Falklands War, Gulf War I and Gulf War II and Bosnia. Other operators of the Sea King include Australia, Belgium, Egypt, Germany, India, Pakistan and Qatar.

Images courtesy of Bob Franklin, Bruce Martin, Chris Cannon, Ian Bracegirdle, Keith Campbell and Ross Cannon