Originally Posted by
KiwiNedNZ
Does anyone in Norway know what the stats are when it comes to long range offshore rescues in Norway and whether the range of the S92 would have allowed the 92 to do the rescues or would they only have been able to be done by the Aw101.
Just curious.
I don't know about Norway's SAR statistics, but UK statistics for 2025 show that only 14% of helicopter missions were 'maritime' - ie more than 3nm offshore (2024 = 15%; 2023 = 18%). It's difficult to make a statistics-based case for procuring an expensive and capable maritime SAR helicopter.
Of course, there are many other criteria eg cabin size, OEI performance, safety considerations, and other mission requirements. For SAR operations, the AW101's combination of characteristics is hard to beat - except on cost. I believe that the S92 was eliminated from the Norwegian SAR helicopter competition, which was eventually between the AW101 and the EC725 (Caracal).