Westland Wasp
| Wasp | |
|---|---|
| A Westland Wasp HAS.1 in Royal Navy markings | |
| General information | |
| Type | Helicopter |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Westland Helicopters |
| Primary users | Royal Navy |
| Number built | 133 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1963 |
| First flight | 28 October 1962 |
| Retired | 2000 (Royal Malaysian Navy) |
| Developed from | Saro P.531 |
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The Westland Wasp is a small 1960s British turbine-powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. Produced by Westland Helicopters, it came from the same Saunders-Roe P.531 programme as the British Army Westland Scout, and is based on the earlier piston-engined Saunders-Roe Skeeter. It fulfilled the requirement of the Royal Navy for a helicopter small enough to land on the deck of a frigate and carry a useful load of two homing torpedoes.