Originally Posted by
ShotOne
Necessary or good to have, either way we mostly don't have it now!
The focus of my original question was on what additional capability would be brought by a top cover MPA over and above that of a modern SAR helo. Clearly you've interpreted it as a demand that a lone helicopter ought to be sent off to do its own thing without back up; perhaps I ought to have worded it more precisely. I have since learned that at the time of the tragedy, Rescue 116 (an S92) was in fact acting as top cover. This surely tends to confirm that there is no issue of capability?
In my experience of crewing SAR top cover in a CN235 off the west coast the ability to provide accurate target ship positions and vector to the vessel was always appreciated as well as advanced radio contact with the target vessel to prepare for a lift, not to mention providing comms relay to base station and all other operational support functions. I'm sure all this can be provided by another rotary Cab but whereas a FW asset can be pretty much garaunteed to launch in all wx I'm not sure this is the same for RW. Maybe some RW drivers could enlighten us but it was always my perception that launching into icing conditions high level IMC for a chopper was not a good idea??
And relating this back to my original post the status quo for the Irish Coast Guard now is they provide their own Top Cover because the Irish Air Corps cannot routinely support outside 1800hrs only in the most extremis emergency conditions (getting people out of their beds ad hoc to respond) - this being as a result of severe personnel shortages. Years ago when I served we had a 24/7 response within 2 hours. Typically doing 10 Top covers a year!
Bean counters have a lot to answer for