If you look at the bottom left corner of that last pic you just see a wafer thin glimpse of the shiny new pod on the initial build. It's a great way to mount extra kit like a HISL, Skyshout, landing lights and lots of tactical antennas and many operators choose to fit one even though an air ambulance carries less kit than a police ship.
After over 40,000 flying hours of the UK 902 fleet I have never seen ground damage to a pod!!!!
Dr A