The Lynx Effect

 
The Winter of '79 air forces continues to grow with the addition of a Corgi 1/72 , Westland Lynx AH.1 (655 Sqn, Operation Banner,1983) courtesy of Ms Santa!

The British Army ordered 113 Lynx AH.1 to fulfill a broad variety of battlefield roles. These ranged from tactical transport, armed escort, anti-tank warfare (equipped with eight TOW missiles), to surveillance, tactical reconnaissance and CASEVAC (casualty evacuation). First deliveries began to arrive with the Army Air Corps from December 1977, and continued until 1984 when it was superceded by the AH.7 model Lynx and more recently the AH.9 and AH.9A.

655 Squadron actually flew Westland Scout helicopters in 1979, when they moved to Omagh in Northern Ireland to carry out anti-terrorist duties in support of 3 Brigade. The Squadron deployed to Shackleton Barracks at Ballykelly, Co. Londonderry in 1982 where they changed over from the "much-loved" Scout to the Lynx, a modern, faster machine, with far greater endurance and a larger capacity for carrying tactical units.

This lead to the Lynx taking on a significant role within the Northern Ireland, security effort. "Eagle  Patrols" consisting of a pair of Lynx helicopters conducted 'snap' Vehicle Check Points (VCPs) over wide operational areas. One Lynx inserted/extracted airmobile troops or Special Forces who would conduct these VCPs, whilst the other Lynx maintained overwatch of the inserted VCP with a reaction force large enough to deal with any terrorist contact. Additional firepower could be provided if needed, from a door mounted GPMG.

Perfect for use in future Winter of '79 games.

Cheers
Mark