Search and Rescue Future – the Department of Transport, as budget holder for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who have the responsibility for the UK Search and Rescue forces operated by the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm, had agreed a future and it is in the private sector.     The award of the contract to Bristow Helicopters Ltd will see all search and rescue services brought together under this one contract which will operate from 2016.   Forces affected are currently provided by RAF (22, 202 and 203 Squadrons) operating SEA KING HAR.3/3A from xx bases and the Fleet Air Arm, (771 Squadron and the GANNET Flight) operating SEA KING HAR.5 from two.    There is also four bases already manned by a civilian helicopter service under contract to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.         The new service will operate in a similar manner to the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency contract and will run for 7-10 years. The contractor will be managed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The new service will operate a mixed fleet of 22 helicopters from ten locations around the UK – the SIKORSKY S-92 helicopters will continue to be based at the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency. bases at Stornoway and Sumburgh, and at new bases at Newquay, Caernarfon and Humberside airports.   Eleven (11) new AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters, to be built at Yeovil, will operate from Lee on Solent, Prestwick, and new bases at St Athan, Inverness and Manston. airports.     All bases will be operational 24 hours a day.

Bristow Helicopters Ltd and the MoD have agreed to a ‘managed transition’ to enable Service Personnel who wish to continue to work in UK SAR to do so without risking the current military service provision - this process is entirely voluntary.

The RAF units that will shut are at RAF Boulmer; RAF Valley; RAF Lossiemouth; RAF Leconfield, AAC Wattisham, RMB Chivenor and Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and HMS Gannet (Prestwick).

The first four brand new SIKORSKY S-92 helicopters, configured entirely for search and rescue was handed over in March 2007 to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and they were to be used primarily in the Highlands and Islands.     CHC Scotia won the interim contract to supply aircraft to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency from 2007 to 2012 and provided for commercial search and rescue helicopter services from four civilian operated bases – Sumburgh (2 x SIKORSKY S-92), Stornoway, (2 x SIKORSKY S-92), supported by three AgustaWestland AW139, two at Lee-on-Solent and one at Portland.