TC:
In the context of this thread:
...as has been stated, single helos are dead in the water, now and forever...the CAA / JAA (EASA) will see to that
As you previously stated, the issue of police helicopters is not a matter for the JAA/EASA. Nothing has changed on the regulation of single-engine helicopters in the UK since JARs were produced. The UK policy was established well before the advent of the JAA.
In fact within the remit of the JARs, there is no barrier to the operation of singles when a safe-forced-landing (SFL) is possible - and there are extensive alleviations in JARs permitting the operation of singles in places when a SFL is not possible. Additional changes are also being considered to remove the restriction on singles for operations in a non-hostile offshore environment (e.g. helidecks in the GOM) - when a risk analysis indicates that they can operate to a safe standard. We are not seeing the demise of the single-engine helicopter.
This whole thread is predicated upon the notion that a single-engine helicopter could perform all of the functions required by the ASU. If the single cannot perform the
whole task then there would have to be a revision of the task profile. Most police units only have a single helicopter - the fact that under specific circumstances an R22 could have done
a task is really not the point.