Elbit Systems did trials out of St Athans in 2018.
https://www.flightglobal.com/civil-u...136554.article
So that is Elbit with their big bird and Schiebel with their smaller rotorcraft that are out in the public domain. There has been other techie stuff going on with sensors and planks.
Some might recall that Elbit showed early interest in the SARH contract last time around. They, and other corporate wannabes, soon disappeared once it was whittled down to real helicopter guys and then the usual suspects.
The currently proposed Lot 3 mixes fixed wing and UAV. I dare say we will see more than 3 lots in the contract notice next year when more of the detail is fleshed out.
As other have already stated, Mark One eyeball is the most successful SAR sensor up to this point and sticking techie stuff on a platform that doesn't require as many expensive aircrew isn't a search for persons in distress but a search for cost saving. Where I believe the greatest advances in search tools are waiting to be found are in the use of sensor systems that advance spectral imaging to the point where specific materials (like nylon-faced lifesaving equipment or mountaineering waterproofs) can be automatically located in real-time. At present, it may be that only military users have the deep pockets necessary to make this a practical solution. It cannot be far away as a commercially available civilian solution. If it is done well then it will be a far greater step forward than UAV.