The Sea King Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and Control – known throughout the Navy as Baggers – are the ‘eyes in the sky’ of the Navy, searching for aerial threats to the Fleet – or suspicious movements on the ground in support of land forces. We owe our nickname to the distinctive inflatable black sack or bag on the side of each helicopter. It may look a rather cumbersome piece of kit from the outside, but inside that sack is the cutting-edge Searchwater 2000 radar capable of remarkably-accurate detection of surface and air targets. Once enemy units are detected, the helicopter’s observers can direct friendly air, sea or ground forces to intercept – as they did with devastating effect during the fighting in southern Iraq in 2003. Right now, our aircraft and men and women are currently committed in the skies of Afghanistan, where the surveillance equipment is vital for tracking the movements of insurgents.
Sea King Mk7 Airborne Surveillance and Control
- Top Speed
90knots
- Crew
3
- Height
5.1Metres
- Length
22.1Metres
- Range
450Nautical Miles
- Main Rotor Diameter
18.9Metres
- Weight (Unladen)
9,700Kg
849 Naval Air Squadron
849 Naval Air Squadron is the parent unit of the Airborne Surveillance and Control family – the Baggers (so called because of the distinctive large sack on each helicopter). We’re based at Culdrose in Cornwall with our sister squadrons, providing them with trained pilots, observers and ground crew ready for front-line operations around the world. Trainee observers – who operate the helicopter’s vital Searchwater 2000 radar – first have to learn the basics of the Sea King and its systems, including radar handling, helicopter navigation, and grapple with secondary roles, such as winching. Once that is complete, they move on to operational conversion to learn to ‘fight the aircraft’: anti-air and surface warfare, fighter control, surveillance and close air support.
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TAKE A LOOK
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Sea King Mk7
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Sea King ASaC operating in Afghanistan
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Sea King ASaC operating in Afghanistan
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Sea King ASaC operating in Afghanistan
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Sea King ASaC operating in Afghanistan
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Sea King ASaC operating in Afghanistan
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Sea Kings in Afghanistan
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854 NAS supporting the Olympics
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854 NAS supporting the Olympics
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854 NAS supporting the Olympics
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854 NAS supporting the Olympics
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854 NAS supporting the Olympics
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857 NAS
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SEA KING DECK LANDING PRACTICE - 22/7/11 Image shows a SeaKing from 857 NAS on deck during OP Ellamy, the UK's contribution in support of UN Resolution 1973.
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857 NAS
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SEA KING DECK LANDING PRACTICE - 22/7/11 Image shows a SeaKing from 857 NAS on deck during OP Ellamy, the UK's contribution in support of UN Resolution 1973. Also in shot are a Lynx Mk7 and a Seaking Mk4.
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857 NAS
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SEAKING MK7 ON DECK - 3/6/11 Image shows a Seaking Mk7 from 857 NAS on the deck of HMS Ocean during its participation of OP Ellamy, the UK's operation in support of UN resolutin 1973.
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