A small shipborne naval helicopter developed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare from frigates and destroyers.
Development
Westland Wasp was developed by Westland Aircraft Works in United Kingdom as a maritime-combat aircraft. The family first flew in 1962 and entered service in 1964. Its recorded airframe configuration is rotorcraft, with the family classified in the archive as core combat-aircraft scope.
Operational History
Operationally, Westland Wasp is represented primarily in the maritime-combat aircraft role. The sourced variant records include service with Fleet Air Arm. The current structured record does not attach a specific conflict authority to this family; operational context remains limited to sourced service and role data. Role tags attached to the family include anti submarine and anti ship.
Variants and Lineage
Major variants represented in the structured record include Wasp HAS.1.
Variants
| Designation | Type | Role | Recorded operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasp HAS.1 | Production | Maritime Combat | Fleet Air Arm |
Representative specifications
Configuration-specific profiles are shown separately so values from different variants are not blended into one false “standard” aircraft.
Wasp HAS.1 — C014 baseline technical profile
- Crew
- 2
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Nimbus turboshaft
Armament: Lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes or anti-ship missiles in naval service.
Sources and further reading
Structured references supporting this aircraft family, variants, specifications, and narrative sections.
- British Naval Aircraft Since 1912 — Naval Institute Press · Tier 3