Sea King Mk4

The Sea King Mk4 – known throughout the Naval world as the Jungly – are the green giants of the Fleet Air Arm. Wherever Royal Marines go in the world, they are accompanied by the venerable Sea Kings of the Commando Helicopter Force, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. It not merely ferries the green berets into action, but also delivers their supplies and also field guns or Land Rovers if needed. The Junglies have seen action most recently in Iraq – they were instrumental in the opening hours of the 2003 war with Saddam Hussein by landing Royal Marines on the Al Faw peninsula. Today the two front-line Mk4 squadrons – 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons – are committed around the clock in Afghanistan supporting the mission of all Allied forces there. The Sea King has been upgraded for its mission in Helmand to the Mk4+. It features improved rotor blades to cope with the challenging environment, defensive aids and decoys to fend off enemy attack, night vision goggles to allow the crew to fly at all times and in all weather conditions. The Mk4 owes its nickname not to its distinctive jungle-green livery but the historical role Commando helicopter squadrons performed in Borneo in the 1960s.