 In October 2011 , following several years of service in Afghanistan as troop transports for the International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) forces stationed there , the Sea King <unk> returned to the UK ; their replacement is the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin . Between April 2009 and July 2011 , the Royal Navy 's Sea Kings stationed at Camp Bastion conducted over 1000 operational missions . The initial Afghan deployment had been criticised as the Sea Kings had not been fitted with protective Kevlar armour . 
