The defense investment plan now revealed includes the unexpected and shocking announcement that the UK’s Wildcat AH1 helicopter fleet, which entered service in 2014, will begin to be withdrawn from 2027.
The Defense Investment Plan (DIP), finally released after some fairly high-profile delays, includes strong commitments in several areas for new unmanned platforms that will operate with crewed capabilities in the near future. Before the plans were fully announced, they reportedly included a shift in plans for the Royal Navy to focus on a ‘systems of systems’ approach and new Common Combat Vessels (CCVs) that would command a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, instead of the shelved Type 83 destroyers.
Now that we have access to the DIP document in its entirety, we can see that the British military will discontinue its battlefield reconnaissance and utility helicopters in favor of new autonomous systems. The Wildcat AH1 was launched in 2014 and provides the British Army with a light transport and reconnaissance helicopter and has already been tested with drones.
The delay in the helicopter ambitions is the result of a shift in the MoD’s wider priorities for drones and others. Some implications are that some older Chinooks are scheduled to remain in service for longer, while the Army’s Wildcat is scheduled to be retired in 2027 in favor of unmanned. It was… pic.twitter.com/3z3XQ4Q5SA
— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) June 30, 2026
34 Wildcat AH1s have been purchased for the British Army, and the Royal Navy operates 28 Wildcat HMA2s. The Wildcat HMA2 differs most noticeably from the AH1 in that it includes a Seaspray radar mounted under its nose. In recent years, HMA2 variants have been integrated with weapon wings that can be used to deploy Martlet and Sea Venom missiles.
There is no clear explanation as to what could happen to the surplus Wildcat helicopters. If budget allows, the Royal Navy may be interested in acquiring the aircraft. The upgrade program to bring AH1 closer to HMA2 with integrated radar has already been discussed previously. The Royal Navy is noticeably lacking in helicopter capabilities, a situation made worse by the total loss of two Merlin HC4s in fatal accidents since 2024.
847 Naval Air Squadron operates the Wildcat AH1, drawn from the common pool of airframes already owned by the Army Air Corps, as a support component for the Royal Marines. It is currently a small squadron, but if budgets and senior official approval allow, it could grow and begin operating its own fleet of AH1 aircraft. If the airframe is not transferred, this could mean the end of 847 NAS, with the Royal Marines’ role likely to be confined to the existing and already expanded Wildcat HMA2 units.
Welcome to @847NAS featuring 👋 of the Wildcat AH1.
Combat helicopter #UKCSG23 from Battlefield Reconnaissance Squadron, Ex Alto Concutimus ‘We Strike From On High’ pic.twitter.com/PdDxLyDLN1
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) September 15, 2023
Questions remain about how the drone will fill the performance gap left by the Wildcat AH1 withdrawal. It can certainly provide excellent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, but this is only part of the AH1’s role. Unmanned systems are unlikely to provide survivable battlefield transport of significant numbers of personnel and equipment anytime soon, nor are they adaptable to high-risk missions such as combat search and rescue (CSAR) that Wildcat units may perform during a conflict.
With the withdrawal of the Wildcat AH1, the Army Air Corps will be reduced to two helicopter types, consisting of 50 AH-64E Apaches and a small number of Dauphin AH1s operated by the 658th Squadron in a special forces support role. The incoming AW149s from the new medium helicopter program will be tasked with supporting the British Armed Forces but, like the Puma helicopters they are replacing (already retired), will be operated by the Royal Air Force.
Also mentioned in the DIP along with the retirement of the Wildcat AH1 is the withdrawal of the older Chinook HC6A airframe. This has been known for a long time, but it is unclear when a follow-up order will come to replace 14 H-47ERs. The RAF’s strong commitment to this type appears unwavering as there are plans for the UK’s Chinook to evolve into a multi-role force capable of delivering rotary wing airlift as well as carrying and deploying unmanned systems.
For more information on defense investment plans, keep an eye on The Aviationist.
