I have witnessed police ops in the USA using both 22 & 44. Not as a replacement for twin-turbines, but supplementary. In many ways the R22 has the capability to be a better pair of eyes than the vehicles on the ground - and at an operating cost which is not much more than the cost of one car. Factor in the enormous depreciation in the capital cost of a police car, against the relatively controllable depreciation of an R22 - and you see why they do it. Not major metro forces - more rural "county" forces.
OK - transfer this pattern to the UK. The all-up equipped cost of a Police Range Rover must be getting on for the price of an R22. Which one works better in rural, hilly environments ?
As a spotter for ground forces, the R22 makes a lot of sense. Unless it's night etc etc.
I am not at all certain that the £3m machine that costs £1200 an hour to run is being put to the best use ALL the time. If it's just for observation in daylight, surely a smaller machine could do the job?
Remember the Optica ?
