AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant

AgustaWestland

Company type	Company (formerly joint venture EH Industries)
Industry	Aerospace, defense
Predecessor	Westland Helicopters, Agusta
Founded	1980
Founder	Westland, Agusta
Fate	Merged into Leonardo S.p.A.
Successor	Leonardo S.p.A.
Headquarters	Italy (originally Italy and UK joint venture) , Italy
Area served	Worldwide, including Canada, UK, Italy
Products	Helicopters (including AW101 series)
Owner	Leonardo S.p.A.
Parent	Leonardo S.p.A.

Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox aircraft

The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant serves as the air-sea rescue adaptation of the AgustaWestland AW101 (previously known as EH101) helicopter tailored for the Canadian Armed Forces. Manufactured by AgustaWestland in Italy—now part of Leonardo—this medium-lift rotorcraft is designed for military use.

Design and development

In 1977, the British Ministry of Defence released a specification for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter intended to succeed the Royal Navy's fleet of Westland Sea King helicopters. Westland responded with the WG.34 design, which was approved for further development. Simultaneously, the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) sought a modern replacement for its Agusta-produced Sea Kings, prompting Agusta to enter discussions with Westland on a potential collaborative project. These talks culminated in November 1979 with the establishment of a joint venture, EH Industries, formed in 1980 to oversee the program—EH representing Elicottero Helicopter, the Italian and English terms for "helicopter." As design efforts advanced, EH identified a wider market demand for an aircraft meeting similar requirements to those of both navies, leading to a versatile design adaptable to various configurations. After an extended development phase, the prototype took its maiden flight on October 9, 1987.

Following the initiatives of the UK and Italy, Canada placed an order valued at C$4.4 billion in 1987 for 48 (later reduced to 42) EH101 helicopters intended to replace the Canadian Forces' aging fleet of Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King and Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador helicopters. These units were designated CH-148 Petrel (initially 33 units, later cut to 28) and CH-149 Chimo (15 units), assigned respectively to anti-submarine warfare and air-sea rescue missions. However, this replacement program was terminated following a governmental change after the 1993 federal election, resulting in cancellation fees amounting to $157.8 million.

In 1998, Canada announced plans to substitute the CH-113s with a newly developed, downsized search-and-rescue variant of the EH101 series, designated as CH-149 Cormorant. Contrary to earlier plans involving domestic assembly, all fifteen helicopters were manufactured entirely in Europe. The initial pair arrived in Canada in September 2001 and became operational by the following year.

When it became clear that an urgent replacement was necessary for the Sea Kings, the EH101 was again considered during Canada's procurement competition known as the Maritime Helicopter Project. It competed against a modified version of the Sikorsky H-92, with an estimated budget of C$5 billion. Ultimately, Sikorsky's proposal was selected on July 23, 2004, and deliveries of the first six units were completed by June 2015.

Operational history

File:Rescue 912 CH-149 Cormorant Helicopter Lands in Vancouver.jpg

A CH-149 Cormorant touching down in Vancouver

The CH-149's inaugural operational sortie took place in 2002, when a 442 Squadron Cormorant executed a medical evacuation from a merchant vessel located approximately 200 km (110 nmi) offshore in the Hecate Strait. A notably more remarkable showcase of the Cormorant's capabilities occurred in January 2003, when a CH-149 from 103 Squadron completed a demanding 1,200 km round-trip rescue mission to the Finnish ro-ro cargo ship MS Camilla, situated near Newfoundland. The operation involved two refuelling stops at the Hibernia oil platform. This event was later featured in an episode of the 2007 National Geographic Channel documentary series Trapped.

On October 25, 2006, a search and rescue team from 442 Squadron based in Comox, British Columbia, carried out a cliffside extraction within a box canyon using the CH-149 Cormorant. Canadian Forces Captain Sean Morris described this mission as "arguably the most challenging situation I've encountered in my life." For their efforts, Captain Morris and his team earned international acclaim as the first Canadians to receive the Prince Philip Helicopter Rescue Award from the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in the United Kingdom.

By August 2010, Canada's fleet of 14 CH-149 Cormorants had surpassed 40,000 operational flight hours. This fleet maintained a higher utilization rate than any other AW101 operator globally. Notably, Cormorant 901, stationed at Canadian Forces Base Comox with 442 Squadron, held the record for the most airframe hours among all AW101 helicopters worldwide. Collectively, the global fleet of 190 AW101 helicopters had accumulated over 200,000 flight hours across countries including Canada, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, and Japan.

In June 2011, Canada acquired several former US Navy VH-71 helicopters—which share the AW101 platform—to serve as spare parts for the CH-149 fleet. By 2013, Canada was reportedly evaluating whether up to four of these VH-71 airframes could be certified for active service.

The Liberal government announced funding in 2017 for a mid-life modernization program for the CH-149 fleet. This initiative was to be overseen by 'Team Cormorant', consisting of Leonardo Helicopters, IMP Aerospace and Defense, CAE, GE Canada, and Collins Aerospace. Valued at approximately C$1.5 billion, this upgrade would deliver a standardized fleet equipped with state-of-the-art avionics and mission systems, enhanced radar and sensor suites, vision enhancement and tracking technologies, along with new 3,000-horsepower (2,200 kW) GE CT7-8E engines. On May 10, 2017, the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence recommended proceeding with plans to expand the Cormorant fleet by upgrading all 14 existing CH-149s and converting seven stored VH-71 airframes to equivalent operational standards. This expansion would increase the total number of aircraft to 21 and extend their service life through to 2040. However, this recommendation was not implemented by the Liberal Government; instead, in August 2019 they announced intentions to acquire "at least" two additional Cormorants alongside modernization of the existing 14 aircraft. This approach potentially allowed basing some helicopters at CFB Trenton in central Canada as well as on both coasts. Yet by 2021 it was reported that this acquisition program had been temporarily suspended due to budgetary constraints.

In December 2022, Leonardo U.K. Ltd secured a contract worth C$1.2 billion to conduct the mid-life upgrade of the CH-149 fleet. This contract includes bringing all helicopters up to Model 612 specifications and adding three new aircraft assembled primarily from new components supplemented by used parts sourced from VH-71s and existing CH-149s—such as transmissions, landing gear assemblies, and control surfaces. Additionally, a separate contract valued at C$78 million was awarded to CAE Inc. for development of a domestic flight simulator aimed at enhancing pilot training capabilities.

Operators

Template:CAN

• Royal Canadian Air Force - 13 units in service as of January 2025
  • 103 Search and Rescue Squadron
  • 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron
  • 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron

Incidents and accidents

• Shortly after its introduction, the AW101 encountered issues related to cracking in the tail rotor hub. This problem led to the crash of a British Merlin on 30 March 2004. The CH-149 Cormorant fleet has been subjected to grounding and restricted flight operations multiple times owing to similar hub cracking concerns; all fifteen Canadian aircraft displayed cracks of varying severity soon after entering service in 2004. A redesign was introduced in 2005; however, among six aircraft fitted with the updated hubs, half exhibited cracking within a month. The AW101 now incorporates an Articulated Tail Rotor (ATR) featuring elastomeric bearings, adapted from the proven design used on the AW139 medium-twin helicopter. This ATR variant is standard on new AW101 models and is available as an upgrade for existing units.
• On 13 July 2006, a CH-149 from the 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron crashed into Chedabucto Bay near Canso, Nova Scotia, during a search and rescue drill conducted in dense fog alongside a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel. Three members of the Canadian Forces lost their lives while four others were injured. Investigations formally excluded mechanical failure as the cause. On 11 March 2008, the Canadian Forces Directorate of Flight Safety attributed the accident to pilot error, noting deficiencies in pilot training. Initial findings revealed that pilots were unfamiliar with proper autopilot operation, culminating in a controlled flight into terrain.
• A Cormorant helicopter crashed on March 10, 2022 during a training operation at 9 Wing located in Gander, Newfoundland. The incident was triggered by a seat malfunction which caused loss of external visual cues combined with intense vertical vibrations, leading to spatial disorientation by the pilot in control. The right outboard wheel, right horizontal stabilizer, and main rotor blades struck the runway nearly simultaneously. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Among the six occupants onboard, four sustained minor injuries while two suffered serious harm.

Specifications (CH-149)

File:Canada Search and Rescue.jpg

A Royal Canadian Air Force CH-149 Cormorant conducting exercises alongside a Canadian Coast Guard ship