April 23, 2010: On April 19th, South Korea grounded its remaining 23 Lynx Mk 99 naval helicopters, after two of them crashed in the previous week. It's not believed that there is any fundamental problem with the Lynx. Hundreds are in service throughout the world, and any problem common to the Lynx would be quickly found and shared. But the South Korean Lynxes will be examined to be sure. One of the two helicopters was able to make an emergency landing, and was largely undamaged. The other one was lost at sea, but three of the four men on board were rescued.
The five ton Lynx has been in service since the late 1970s. There have been many upgrades. The South Korea models have a radar under the nose, and several other modifications for naval use. With a crew of three, the naval version is armed with two torpedoes or two missiles. The Lynx is similar to the UH-60s used for naval service (SH-60 and so on).
