Sun
Good question. Current Govt (non-military) maritime aviation in the UK is provided as follows:
Aircraft Type Total Role Operator
AgustaWestland AW 139 x3 Search & Rescue CHC
Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander x1 Surveillance AAT
Cessna 404 Titan II x1 Pollution Patrol AAT
Cessna F406 Caravan II x1/1 Pollution Patrol/Spraying AAT
Lockheed L-188 Electra x2 Pollution Spraying AAT
Sikorsky S-92 x4 Search & Rescue CHC
AAT = operated by Atlantic Air Transport Ltd under contract.
CHC = operated by CHC Scotia under contract.
Add to this the Do 228s and Islanders of Cobham plus the Cessna F406s of Direct Flight in Scotland - all working for DEFRA (late MAFF).
Looking at this I reckon that there is reasonable FW maritime fleet for peacetime purposes. Probably why the UK Govt aren't too bothered over the canx of MRA4 with SK 'pingers' and DD/FF filling the other gap. All in all, not perfect, but we are supposedly skint!
LJ
