The Westland Lynx is a helicopter designed by Westland, first flying on 21 March 1971. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants, which went into operational usage in 1977;Initial production version for the British Army Air Corps, and were later adopted by the armed forces of over a dozen nations. The helicopter is now produced and marketed by AgustaWestland.