Adrian Geal of Product Marketing at Agusta Westland said the company saw an opportunity for a larger helicopter to enter the inventory of the UK Police Forces, not necessarily replacing the smaller twin-engined EC-135s, 145s and MD900s currently in service but perhaps instead as a specialised, national fleet of Police or general emergency services aircraft, working alongside.
Geal said: “In the future there may be a requirement for an aircraft that can carry a reasonably-sized anti-terrorism team for example. We don’t see these aircraft replacing the EC145s but operating alongside them.
(My emphasis)