During the Falklands War, the Lynx was equipped with the anti-ship Sea Skua missile. Two Lynx helicopters from HMS Coventry and HMS Glasgow attacked an 800-tonne patrol boat.
The Lynx also destroyed an Argentine cargo ship and a patrol boat. They were also used during the conflict in anti-submarine patrols.
Prince Andrew flew a Royal Navy Lynx in June 1983.
During the First Gulf War, the Royal Navy Lynx aircraft also used the Sea Skua missile Gulf War, attacking several fast attack craft and minesweepers. They were also responsible for damaging a landing ship.
At the same time, the Army Air Corps used their Lynx helicopters in the Gulf as tank killers, equipped with TOW missiles.
However, in Afghanistan, the Lynx had problems operating at high altitudes in mountainous regions where the air is thinner.
Instead of being used as a gunship, it was used for reconnaissance and surveillance. Its strike role was taken over by the purpose-built Apache.
The Lynx spent much of the 1990s serving in Bosnia as part of the international peace keeping effort, where it was also used for surveillance.
In September 2010 two Army Air Corps Lynx helicopters were sent to Sierra Leone as part of a mission to rescue a platoon from the Royal Irish Regiment who had been captured by the West Side Boys in an operation involving the SAS and the Parachute Regiment. The two aircraft were used to strafe a village held by the gang while ground troops rescued the five soldiers who were being held prisoner.
The Ministry of Defence is replacing the Lynx with Apache gunships and the Augusta Westland Wildcat. The Wildcat has been deployed with the Royal Navy on board frigates, where it is used for anti-ship and anti-submarine operations. The Wildcat can also be used to provide air support if the navy has to board another vessel, such as intercepting suspected drug traffickers.
The Army Air Corps Wildcat will be used for surveillance and battlefield intelligence gathering, although it is equipped with a .50cal door mounted heavy machine gun.
It has also the ability to deploy fully equipped troops to the battlefield and can be fitted with air-to-surface missiles and rockets.
Commanding Officer of 657 Squadron, Major James Peycke said that bidding ‘farewell to the iconic machine’ is a huge moment for everyone who has flown the Lynx over the years.
‘It is hugely emotional saying goodbye to the Lynx after six years of flying, and it carves out a big chunk of your heart,’ he said.
Describing the aircraft as ‘hugely manoeuvrable’, Maj Peycke said there is ‘never a dull day when you are flying’ one.
The four Mk9 Lynx lifted off to thunder around the UK’s skies, taking in sites and locations including Yeovil, Middle Wallop and Upavon, before also flying in formation, led by a Chinook helicopter, along the length of the River Thames in central London.