The new anti-ship Sea Venom missiles are now ready to be fitted to Royal Navy maritime attack helicopters.
The weapon has passed an Initial Operating Capability (OC) and can be deployed with Wildcat helicopters on frontline duties, it has been announced.
Up to four Sea Venoms can be carried on one helicopter, with the missiles carrying enough destructive power to target larger warships, such as corvettes and patrol ships.
The Wildcat can also carry the lightweight Martlet missile, which can taken out boat swarms or smaller vessels.
IOC was achieved during Operation Highmast – the Royal Navy’s global mission to the Indo-Pacific led by flagship HMS Prince of Wales.
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During the trip, four Wildcats from 815 Naval Air Squadron were armed with Sea Venoms, spread across the Carrier Strike Group on carrier HMS Prince of Wales, destroyer HMS Dauntless and Norwegian frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen.
Commanding Officer of 815 Naval Air Squadron, Commander James Woods, said the Sea Venom offers ‘a step-change’ in the Navy’s combat power.
‘It delivers a lethal combination of precision, reach, and flexibility that allows us to strike decisively against a wide spectrum of threats in the maritime, coastal, and land domains,’ he added.
‘Most importantly, it gives us the ability to neutralise those threats at range. This is a transformational capability for the Fleet Air Arm, and ensures that we are ready to defend and protect NATO and Allied interests at home and abroad.’
The Sea Venom uses an ‘operator-in-the-loop’ system, transmitting an infra-red image back to the operator from up to four missiles at once, enabling real-time targeting adjustments during flight, the UK Defence Journal reports.