06/07/2021. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "This aircraft was originally developed by Westland of the UK and Agusta of Italy. A new company, European Helicopter Industries (EH Industries), was formed in June 1980 for joint marketing and production of the EH 101. In July 2000 Westland and Agusta merged into AgustaWestland, and in March 2004 EH Industries was dissolved, the EH 101 being produced as the AgustaWestland EH 101. Two months later, May 26, 2004, AgustaWestland became Italian, as a branch of Finmeccanica, while in 2007 the designation changed from EH 101 to AW101. On January 1, 2017, Finmeccanica was renamed Leonardo, the type still being designated AW101.

The RN acquired 44 of these three-engined medium helicopters from EH Industries, they were used for the anti-submarine warfare role, designated Merlin HM.Mk.1 and serialed ZH821 to ZH864. In January 2006, AgustaWestland received a contract to upgrade thirty aircraft to Merlin HM.Mk.2s.

In November 2016, Lockheed Martin UK received a contract for a new airborne surveillance and control (ASaC) system, named Crowsnest, to be fitted to the Merlin HM.Mk.2. The contract covered the production of ten Crowsnest radar/mission system kits, modifications to existing Merlin HM.Mk.2 helicopters, training, and initial support. Thales UK is providing the radar/mission system, Leonardo is responsible for Merlin modifications. The Crowsnest system's radar is carried in an inflatable bag on the left side of the fuselage, the bag is rotated 90° downwards after take off and rotated 90° to the rear before landing. The crew consists of the pilot and two system operators, the latter are nicknamed "Baggers".

On March 19, 2021, the flight of a fully equipped Merlin HM.Mk.2 at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, marked the formal introduction to service of the Crowsnest ASaC kit package. On April 27, 2021, three Crowsnest equipped Merlin HM.Mk.2 landed at the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The pictured ZH864 was the last HM.Mk.1 built, first flown on October 7, 2002, it was delivered to the RN the following December 5. In 2006 it was selected for the MH.Mk.2 modification, while in 2020 the modification for the Crowsnest ASaC kit was started."