Glamox provides advanced helicopter landing systems for two UK Royal Navy warships

Glamox has enhanced the capabilities of the Royal Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessels, HMS Trent and HMS Spey, to land helicopters on a moving deck in challenging weather and during night conditions. HMS Trent was the first vessel to be equipped with the advanced Helicopter Visual Landing Aid System (HVLAS), which underwent rigorous testing off the English south coast in July, involving three days of day and night landings from a Wildcat helicopter. HMS Spey is the next in line to be fitted with the system. Additionally, Glamox supplied both vessels with military-grade Night Vision Imaging System navigation lights.

The HVLAS (Helicopter Visual Landing Aid System) is a comprehensive flight deck-based lighting system that provides pilots with visual cues and information during approach and landing. It includes a stabilised horizon bar that shows pilots the position of the horizon, regardless of the roll and pitch of the vessel. A glide path indicator assists pilots in judging approach angles using a three-colour light beam to show the correct path or whether the helicopter is too high or too low. Additional deck-edge lighting and focused LED beam lines provide accurate positional cues for pilots operating in low-visibility conditions or using night vision goggles. See the video:


The lighting system includes controls to dim or adjust the lighting intensity for improved visibility. This means that the ship can support covert missions, operating in near-dark conditions, and the lighting can be tuned to meet the operational requirements of helicopters from other forces.

“The fact that we now have the ability to control our lights in such a different manner will mean that the ability for partner nations to land helicopters will be significantly easier,” said Lieutenant Harry Jukes, HMS Trent’s Weapon Engineer Officer, interviewed by the British Forces Broadcast Service.

Wildcat Helicopter and HMS Trent.jpg

Following HMS Trent’s refit in Malta and the successful validation of the system at sea, the vessel is expected to be deployed to the Caribbean, where it can support various missions from counter-narcotics to humanitarian aid. The HVLAS for HMS Spey will be fitted in Singapore during its scheduled maintenance period. The Royal Navy has a further three Batch 2 River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels that could benefit from the system.

HMS Trent at Sea.JPG


“This is the first time that Royal Navy Ships have had an HVLAS retrofit from Glamox, and we are delighted with the results. The new technology greatly extends the capabilities of the Offshore Patrol Vessels to conduct helicopter operations at night and in bad weather conditions,” said Ronny Orvik, head of Glamox’s Defence & Security business. “Furthermore, this major update underscores the value of the Defence Equipment & Support arm of the UK’s Ministry of Defence in keeping its ships at the forefront of advanced technology.”