Development on the Lynx began in the mid 1960s, when Westland sought a replacement for its existing Scout and Wasp helicopters, while also wanting to provide a more advanced alternative to the UH-1 Iroquois.

After some delays, the first prototype was ready for testing by the early ‘70s. In March 1971, the prototype conducted its maiden flight. In further sorties, the Lynx managed to break a number of world speed records for helicopters. Quite content with the Lynx’s performance, the British Army placed an order for 100 units of the type to be produced in the mid ‘70s. Subsequently, the Lynx received its official army designation ‘Lynx AH Mk.1’.

Since its introduction to service, the Lynx saw service primarily with the British Army and the Royal Navy in various different roles, including among others transport, armed escort and anti-tank warfare. Furthermore, the Lynx also saw service with countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Argentina, while other countries like Germany, France, Denmark, South Korea, Brazil and Portugal, to name a few, still use variants of the Lynx today.

During their service, Lynx helicopters found themselves taking part in numerous conflicts, including the Falklands and Gulf wars, military interventions on the Balkans during the 1990s, anti-piracy efforts in Somalia and many more thanks to their ongoing service today. In total, around 450 Lynx helicopters of various modifications have been produced by 2009, with production still ongoing today.