A modernized “Super Lynx” development, the AW159 is a multi-role naval helicopter with a huge number of air-launched munitions!
AW159 Wildcat HMA2: A Helicopter for Great Britain at Rank VII
At a glance:
Modernised Lynx based platform
20 Martlet missiles!
New Spike NLOS ATGMs
Today we’ll be taking a look at the brand new British helicopter joining the game in the next major update, the AW159 Wildcat HMA2. The ever popular Lynx in game now has its modern evolution to offer an entirely new type of missile to the game. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from this deadly (wild)cat!
The Wildcat is an excellent ambush helicopter, having a much smaller profile than the average top rank helicopter. Equipped with a modern RWR system and countermeasures to keep you alert and alive, it is best employed to flank around the sides of the battlefield, where targets will be more exposed and more easily destroyed from the sides or rear. A choice of sheer volume of missiles is available with the Martlet, or for more accurate and deadly strikes, the Spike NLOS. Much like its predecessor the Lynx, the Wildcat has a tremendous amount of speed and agility at its disposal, allowing it to quickly get into position and reposition as needed. The available weapons on the Wildcat allow you to switch roles mid game based on your team’s needs. Spike NLOS being a more suitable anti-tank killer, with the Martlet being more suitable for taking out SAM/SPAA systems, helicopters and lighter vehicles towards the later stages of a match to clear up air defence systems for your team’s aviation to operate more freely. The choice is yours!
Without a doubt, the key standout feature of the Wildcat is its distinctive Martlet missiles. A whopping 20 missiles can be carried at once in a full loadout configuration! These missiles are reasonably versatile, being primarily suitable for lighter ground and naval based targets. While you won’t be taking out heavily armored MBTs with them easily, just about anything else in the modern battlefield will be a prime target for them. They are guided via laser beam-riding, much like the Starstreak and 9K121 Vikhr.
Developer Comment: As previously mentioned in the Work-In-Progress dev blog, we faced a difficult choice regarding the Wildcat’s armament. We had considered equipping it with fewer Martlet missiles and omitting the Spike missiles entirely. While this would have resulted in a lower Battle Rating, the helicopter would have become highly specialized, unable to effectively engage tanks and forced to launch all its missiles from very close range. Ultimately, we decided to give the AW159 its full missile arsenal, including Sea Venom anti-ship missiles (which will be added in a future update). This weaponry, combined with the helicopter’s signature maneuverability and speed, makes the AW159 one of the best attack helicopters in the game.
The AW159 Wildcat came from a need both the Army Air Corps and the Royal Navy had to replace their Lynx Helicopters and the Army’s Gazelles. Already under consideration from the 1990s, AugustaWestland was tasked with a “Future Lynx” platform, either by a drastic upgrade and refurbishment to the current available family, or an entirely new entry. By the mid 2000s, with the prospect of the first option being written off, work began on the new Lynx, later redesignated the AW159 Wildcat.
Featuring many modern features like a glass cockpit, upgraded radar, sensors, RWR and countermeasures, as well as a new powerplant of LHTEC CTS800-4N Turboshaft engines, the new helicopter had more power than its Lynx predecessor and could cover both the Army and Navy’s needs for a variety of mission roles, from Anti-Submarine Warfare, Troop transport and deployment, Anti-Surface Warfare and tactical reconnaissance. Weaponry has since been expanded from Torpedos and Machine guns to also feature the Martlet and Spike missiles, as well as the Sea Venom anti-ship missile.
With the Army Air Corps operating the AH1 and the Royal Navy the HMA2, several other nations such as South Korea, Philippines and Algeria have adopted or ordered the Wildcat.
This cat doesn’t mess around! That’s all for now. We hope you enjoyed this more detailed look at the Wildcat after we showcased it initially in our “WIP” blog. Stay tuned for more news on what to expect in the upcoming major update!
Please note that vehicle specifications may be subject to revision and change before being added to the game.