Shipborne helicopters are adapting to a new operational environment and a broader spectrum of roles. Not only has the traditional focus on anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare migrated from the open ocean to the littorals, but a host of new taskings have also emerged to reflect the requirements of the joint littoral battlespace. These include embargo enforcement (boarding and surveillance), counter-narcotics operations, mine countermeasures and force protection. Add to the long-standing secondary roles such as liaison, troop transport, vertical replenishment and search and rescue (SAR) and it is immediately evident how important the flexibility of the organic helicopter has become to naval forces. Once seen as a simple extension of the host ship's combat system, the ship's flight has matured into an increasingly autonomous, networked multimission platform in its own right.
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