Wildcat AH1

Battlefield reconnaissance and light attack helicopter operated by the British Army, a heavily redesigned derivative of the Lynx with new engines, composite rotor blades and modern sensors. The maritime variant, Wildcat HMA2, equips the Royal Navy for anti-surface warfare with Martlet and Sea Venom missiles.

In service since 2014 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

291

km/h

777

km range

3,050

m ceiling

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2014. Status: active · ~62 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 291 km/h

Stronger than 40% of helicopters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 777 km

Stronger than 56% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 3,050 m

Bottom 3% of helicopters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 0.5 in M3M machine gun (door-mounted)
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 4

Stronger than 41% of helicopters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 15.24 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 3.73 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 3,400 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 6,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 2
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 5

Bottom 3% of helicopters

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2× LHTEC CTS800-4N turboshaft
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turboshaft

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: Leonardo Seaspray 7000E radar (HMA2), electro-optical/infrared turret

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 62

Stronger than 30% of helicopters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 18% of helicopters

Specifications compiled from public Leonardo and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals