UKSAR2G March 2024 Newsletter
Published 22 March 2024
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Key headlines
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The 10 current base locations will remain, with the addition of 2 new seasonal bases. These will provide further lines of tasking during the busy summer period. They will be available for 12 hours each day between April and September.
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Increased number of fixed wing planes that can conduct aerial search faster and more efficiently than helicopters and will have the ability to do so across the whole of the UK Search and Rescue Region.
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A Centre of Operational and Technical Excellence to implement innovative technology throughout the life of the contract.
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Greatly enhanced operational situational awareness will be achieved via the new Onelink System that will share live time sensor data and mission critical information between all of HM Coastguard’s Search and Rescue Aircraft and the Tasking and Co-ordinating Authority.
Aviation assets
- 18 helicopters including Leonardo AW139s, AW189s, and Sikorsky S92As
- 6 King Air fixed wing planes, up from the current 3. These include the King Air B200, B350 and B350 extended range variants.
- A mobile Schiebel S-100 Drone unit (Unmanned Air System UAS) based at Lydd but deployable nationally.
Basing solution
Map of UK with base locations marked: Sumburgh, Inverness, Humberside, Lydd, Lee-on-the-Solent, Newquay, St Athan, Caernarfon, Prestwick, Stornoway.
- 12 helicopter bases in the summer and 10 in winter, which will provide a single line of tasking (per asset type) from each location.
- 3 fixed wing bases – all of which are co-located with helicopters at Humberside, Prestwick and Newquay.
Transition timeline
The UK Second-Generation Search and Rescue Aviation service – UKSAR2G – will deliver all of these assets for at least a decade, starting in 2024. By the end of 2026 the entire coastguard aviation service will be operational under the UKSAR2G contract. This is a ground-breaking service that delivers not just for HM Coastguard, but wider government.
The UAS will be housed at Lydd. However it can be deployed anywhere in the UK at any time.
| Helicopter base location | UKSAR2G start date |
|---|---|
| Inverness | 01/10/2024 |
| Lydd (plus UAS) | 01/01/2025 |
| St Athan | 01/04/2025 |
| Prestwick | 01/07/2025 |
| Lee-on-the-Solent | 01/10/2025 |
| Humberside | 01/01/2026 |
| Caernarfon | 01/04/2026 |
| Seasonal bases | 01/04/2026 |
| Newquay | 01/07/2026 |
| Sumburgh | 01/10/2026 |
| Stornoway | 01/01/2027 |
| Fixed wing base location | UKSAR2G start date |
|---|---|
| Humberside | 19/11/2024 |
| Newquay | 19/11/2024 |
| Prestwick | 19/11/2024 |