HMCG flying in formation with a fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter, and a Schiebel S-100 drone
Following a drawn-out 18-month procurement procedure, the MCA, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, recently inked a roughly £1.6 billion contract with UK firm Bristow Helicopters Ltd.
Robert Courts, MP, Minister for Maritime and Aviation, stated today that Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has been selected to provide both rotary and fixed wing services for the UK Second-Generation Search and Rescue Aviation programme, or UKSAR2G.
Since 2013, Bristow Helicopters Ltd has provided the MCA with a UK search and rescue helicopter service, and since 2019, 2Excel Aviation has provided aerial surveillance aircraft. In addition to flying for HM Coastguard, these planes also work for other government agencies.
With the new contract, the UK search and rescue area will gain from innovation and technological advancements to save more lives even faster.
It will consolidate the two existing, independent aviation contracts for both rotary and fixed wing aircraft.
Additionally, it will make use of unmanned aircraft (drones).
The taxpayer will receive better value for their money as a result, and more innovation will be possible during the duration of the contract.
In accordance with the terms of the new contract, Bristow Helicopters Ltd. will continue to operate from its ten present helicopter facilities and establish two additional temporary stations in Carlisle and Fort William to service regions near two of the top summer tourist destinations.
All heliports will remain open twenty-four hours a day.
From April to September, the Fort William and Carlisle will be open 24 hours a day.
For the duration of the transition out of the current contracts, which will begin on September 30, 2024, and end on December 31, 2026, search and rescue aviation services will continue to be provided throughout the entirety of the UK.
Three fixed-wing bases will be located at Doncaster, Prestwick, and Newquay.
The MCA has engaged in significant, complex modelling in order to forecast future demand for our services.
By doing this, the MCA is guaranteed to be able to modify future services to match demand and offer service advancements with new systems and technology.
When Bristow is in action,
18 Helicopters, comprising new Leonardo AW139 helicopters and Sikorsky S92A helicopters in addition to the existing Leonardo AW189 helicopters.
Six King Air fixed-wing aircraft—the B350, B350ER, and B200—along with one movable deployable Schiebel S-100 drone system are in service today.
In March 2022, drones were added to HM Coastguard’s aviation fleet.
They are already being used to support search and rescue operations in the English Channel.
As part of UKSAR2G, Bristow Helicopters Ltd. will therefore keep building on this to improve emergency responders’ situational awareness. Drones can communicate real-time data, including live imagery from the incident, to Coastguard operations rooms and other responders.
This and other advancements will assist search and rescue change over the next ten years and beyond as HM Coastguard commemorates its 200th anniversary.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has also put forth a highly innovative idea for a brand-new, cutting-edge search and rescue helicopter simulation training facility at Solent Airport, next to the Coastguard Training Facility, which will house an artificial rescue hoist and helicopter suspended over a sizable training pool.
Utilizing sustainable aviation fuels reduces our carbon footprint while providing these services, which is another innovation.
The government has made a significant investment with today’s announcement to provide a national search and rescue aviation service using a customised approach, ensuring that the most suitable aircraft are at the most suitable locations to fulfil the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s public service commitment.
These services will continue to assist other government departments with their efforts to identify and stop unlawful behaviour at sea as well as assist other government efforts as needed.
Senior Responsible Owner for UKSAR2G Damien Oliver stated:
Because an HM Coastguard helicopter saved them, we are certain that there are still people living today.
The idea of the future individuals whose lives may be spared as a result of this contract was a significant motivator to ensure that this will build on that success and improve it even more when looking at the next ten years of service and rescue services.
I am also happy that we can continue to assist our partners in the government in all of their endeavours.
This is the fantastic outcome of an 18-month procurement process to provide a brand-new, incredibly capable, and cutting-edge search and rescue aviation service.
On the success of the current arrangements, which have been in place since 2015, the new service will build.
