Westland Lynx AH.9 / AH.9A
The 'Battlefield Lynx' on wheels — later re-engined with CTS800s as the AH.9A · First flight 1989 · In service 1991
The AH.9, known as the 'Battlefield Lynx', gave the Army a utility Lynx with a wheeled undercarriage and an upgraded gearbox, optimised for moving troops and equipment rather than carrying TOW missiles. The prototype flew in November 1989 and deliveries began in 1991; sixteen were built new and eight converted from AH.7s.
All 22 surviving AH.9s were upgraded to AH.9A standard with LHTEC CTS800-4N engines (1,015 kW each) — the same powerplant later used by the Wildcat — and the door-mounted 7.62 mm GPMG was replaced by a .50-calibre heavy machine gun. The extra power made the Lynx usable in high temperatures, and AH.9As were deployed to Afghanistan from 2010.
The AH.9A was the last Lynx variant in British Army service. 657 Squadron, the final Army Air Corps Lynx unit, disbanded in 2018; AH.9A ZG921 is now displayed in the atrium of the National Army Museum in London.
