AW139 proposed for UK Police Air Support Units
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.
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)
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Oops -
Aah yes - thanks Droopy - mixing up the 109 ( only one of these in UK Police use ) and the 139
- it was the 109 I recall someone mentioning had the limited headroom....
FB - Sadly - both ! - always amenable to invites though
Aah yes - thanks Droopy - mixing up the 109 ( only one of these in UK Police use ) and the 139
- it was the 109 I recall someone mentioning had the limited headroom.... FB - Sadly - both ! - always amenable to invites though
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You could just leave waging war to the military of course............
That's what they did in the Iranian Embassy siege and it seemed to work pretty well in the circumstances. And I understand that the boys who do that work already have their own helicopters.
A "general emergency services aircraft" is another thing, and might well be a good idea. However, as has been discussed here before, the emergency services are directed from different government departments with different budgets. Very little chance of them working together. Just look at the recent trouble over the few remaining "joint" HEMS-police heles.
Would it be possible to combine a civi SAR role with this super ER aircraft? If there truly was a need for a larger hele for some emergency purpose, wouldn't the SAR heles get used for that anyway?
Sounds like a solution looking for a market to me.
That's what they did in the Iranian Embassy siege and it seemed to work pretty well in the circumstances. And I understand that the boys who do that work already have their own helicopters.
A "general emergency services aircraft" is another thing, and might well be a good idea. However, as has been discussed here before, the emergency services are directed from different government departments with different budgets. Very little chance of them working together. Just look at the recent trouble over the few remaining "joint" HEMS-police heles.
Would it be possible to combine a civi SAR role with this super ER aircraft? If there truly was a need for a larger hele for some emergency purpose, wouldn't the SAR heles get used for that anyway?
Sounds like a solution looking for a market to me.
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139s going cheap
Please see current posts on the 'SAR-H to go' thread for possible availability of some 139s that do not appear suitable for the SAR role. I'm sure if an enterprising Chief Constable was to make an offer......
