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Search and rescue bid in safe hands with Thales support

29 June 2009

Soteria, the consortium set up between Thales UK, CHC Helicopter Corporation and the Royal Bank of Scotland to bid for the provision of a new helicopter-based search and rescue service (SAR-H), has confirmed that its preferred aircraft is the 166 mph multi-mission Sikorsky S-92.

We will also be helping to reduce and manage the complexity of SAR-H by providing an integrated management information and communications system that will support a number of essential operations, including training and personnel management, flying operations, logistics planning, the collation and reporting of information and various business management functions.

Last, but certainly not least, Thales UK will be leveraging expertise gained from a number of high-profile Private Finance Initiatives to provide robust, cost-efficient infrastructure and facilities management services, to ensure maximum value for money.

It’s still too early to say whether Soteria (named after the Greek goddess of safety, deliverance and preservation from harm) will be the successful bidder. One thing we can becertain of, though, is that if it does win the contract thousands of lives will be saved thanks in part to Thales’s undisputed expertise in training and simulation, information systems and project management.

At present SAR is provided by the venerable Sea King helicopter operated by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) through a civilian-run helicopter service. The new SAR-H service, which is intended to increase efficiency and deliver improved value for money, will replace this with a single contract to provide 24/7 SAR coverage from 12 bases around the UK. It will also cover the Falkland Islands.

The service will also cover maritime rescue from the Isles of Scilly tothe Shetlands, inland waterways troughout Britain and mountain rescue from the peaks of Wales to the Scottish highlands. It will be rolled out in 2012 and each base will run for 25 years.

One of the most important contributions that Thales UK is making is in the field of training and simulation. As we already train around 1,000 UK military aircrew every year, we’re perfectly positioned to harness that expertise to provide a highly efficient synthetic training service that isn’t affected by weather conditions or aircraft availability.