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-   -   Australia's AFP are operating Rotary Wing Airframes? (https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/326136-australias-afp-operating-rotary-wing-airframes.html)

Along for the ride 9th May 2008 09:19

Australia's AFP are operating Rotary Wing Airframes?
 
I am told there is an article in the latest 'Helinews' on Australia's AFP operating rotary winged aircraft for police operations. Anyone seen the article yet or know much about the operation?

Turkeyslapper 9th May 2008 09:43

Not too sure but I think Helicorp operate a B212 for the AFP in the ACT.

Stand to be corrected.

Turkey

Along for the ride 9th May 2008 10:17

This article talks about police operations in Australia and overseas. Got to be more than a B212 in Canberra?

landy01 9th May 2008 10:46

They also have ops in East Timor (and possibly solomons). As far I know turkey slapper is correct -all choppers are operated by helicorp on contract. (not sure on a/c type or number).

gulliBell 10th May 2008 03:00

At last count: 1 x B212 in Canberra, 2 x B212 in E.Timor, 1 x B412 and 1 x B212 in Solomons. All are contracted out (Helicorp and Hevilift). The AFP do not own or crew any of these aircraft.

Elan Head 10th May 2008 05:06

Hi, yes, Martin Bass did that story for us. It talks about the Air Support Unit (ASU) of the Operational Response Group (ORG) of the International Deployment Group (IDG) of the Australian Federal Police (AFP – too many acronymns!).

The ORG has a 212, 412 and Super Puma in the Solomons and a 412 in Majura for training (helicopters and crew contracted through Helicorp/PDL Toll).

Can I interest you in a subscription? ;)

Elan

Along for the ride 10th May 2008 05:52

They don't crew their own aircraft ? Now I am confused. They obviously don't do police operations then? I assume it must be a contract for transport and non police operational work?

Elan Head 10th May 2008 06:56

In the Solomons, the helicopters are mostly involved in logistical support and EMS ops. The aircraft in Majura is primarily used for IDG pre-deployment training but does some operational work as well (eg aerial surveillance for the 2007 APEC summit).

Elan

Blackhawk9 10th May 2008 09:40

The AFP had an inconspicuous ???? white 412 SP at APEC with sniper racks etc hanging off the right side at APEC 2007

Along for the ride 11th May 2008 05:49

Its all getting more interesting.... Sniper racks and operating over APEC does not sound like the type of role you would use contracted crews for...

gulliBell 11th May 2008 06:59

and why not? I can't see any issue with having contracted crews and snipers on board. AFP have been doing it for over four years now without any problem.

AFP could easily go out and spend the money, buy their own aircraft and hire their own crews (it would only cost a fraction of the IDG annual budget), but they haven't done that. They're using contractors, contracts have been extended or renewed, so I guess they must be happy with the present arrangement.

Along for the ride 11th May 2008 09:01

Nothing against contract pilots or crew...but who makes the police operational decisions onboard that aircraft? Surely not the untrained pilot or crewman with absolutely no police training or background....

I am sure snipers are more than capable when it comes to their specific and specialist role, but not all police operational jobs need a sniper?

So my question still stands. Who makes the police operational decisions on board the aircraft when on police operations...?

Any police observers or police aircrew out there keen to comment?

gulliBell 11th May 2008 10:14

Check your PM.

topendtorque 11th May 2008 11:44


Got to be more than a B212 in Canberra?
all this talk about sniper racks etc, chasing Wallibies out of the "compound" were they?

They tried all of that sniper hoo haa years ago, air beds, the lot. to no avail.

There is another current story about chasing wallabies out of the compound at Tindal Air Base. Night Ops of the Air-Med and F-A 18 Fighter Variety have been suspended because of them???
jeeesus.

A Local feathered gentleman - with three bars - has said that they might have to "nuke 'em to clean 'em out".

Well for those of us that - have chased - do chase - or might chase - animals for a living, and that must include the two legged variety, It is essential that one thinks smarter than the prey before taking up the chase.

I mean, wallabies, fair dinkum???????????????.
tet

Along for the ride 12th May 2008 03:57

topendtorque.....are you in the right forum?

ApocalypseThen 12th May 2008 05:38

Or the right cranium?

bellfest 12th May 2008 13:27

Someone let topendtorque near the computer after a big bender again!!:\

topendtorque 14th May 2008 12:57

I simply say that the whole conversation is a nonsense.

First we refer to A helicopter hovering around above a full city load of possible targets and then they are going to pick one target off at positon Y when they are at position X (who knows how far away) with one shot from a totally unstable gun platform. When it comes to precision shooting over long distance that is a nonsense. The target of course will be deliberately almost invisible in a seething throng.

As I said it's been tried before- by the professionals - and dismissed. My informant remains invisible.

I further deride the hypothetical, by referring to the shooting of feral wallabies insdie a compound inside the city of Canberra.
Maybe the AFD could have practised there?? The whole cities authorities stuffed that one up, where were the AFP?

Just fortunately for me a further story came along on good ol' ABC about a wing commander from Tindal airbase who suggests that the only way to rid the famed Tindal airbase of wallabies - and thus get our OZ's most sophisticated front line airbase back up to even night time flying status - is to nuke 'em. He did concede that it would probably not be the best way??

Get out you clowns and read a bit more.

Shooting something from a chopper from a couple of hundred yards or less is dead easy, been there done that -thousands of times. But a couple of thousand of yards, with one shot, give over you guys.

AFP should spend their hard earned dollars on their core role of policing, and leave the killing to others.

As I say an absolute nonsense and a waste of dollars.
tet

gulliBell 14th May 2008 20:04

I don't think there is any real intent of a sniper actually having a shot at anyone from the helicopter. I've flown the AFP sniper teams on live ops and we never even practised shooting from the helicopter. It's just a show of force and an exercise in waving the flag. In worse case they might pop off a few CS gas canisters or flash bangs if ever a riot broke out.

Mitch Vernon 14th May 2008 23:40

We recently conducted helicopter marksman training in Australia for an asian police force.

The shooters were machines. They could reliably hit a watermelon out to 200 meters, from the back of a shaky old jetranger.

I for one wouldn't want to be a bad guy on the recieving end.


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