820 NAS at RIAT

A ‘bagger’ - named after its radar dome – of 820 Naval Air Squadron takes to the sky during last weekend’s Royal International Air Tattoo.

The aircrew travelled up from RNAS Culdrose to the airshow at Fairford in Gloucester, to demonstrate their Merlin Mk2 helicopter in its role for airborne surveillance and control.

Flying high above an aircraft carrier strike group, the Merlin’s powerful radar can scan for hostile aircraft, missiles or ships. The rest of the Merlin Mk2 fleet is kitted out for hunting submarines.