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LONDON, England, June 18, 2004. New equipment that will significantly improve the ability of RAF Search and Rescue teams to detect missing people in all weather conditions has begun to enter service across its fleet of Sea King helicopters.
Sea Kings are used to rescue downed aircrew around the UK, as well as a range of other groups from fishing vessels in trouble at sea to stranded mountain climbers.
Two Mk3A Sea King helicopters, based at RMB Chivenor, North Devon, have been fitted with an infrared detection system that has the ability to detect a person from over one kilometre away, even in choppy or stormy seas.
"The installation of these advanced new sensors will give the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue crews a hugely enhanced capability which will undoubtedly help save lives," Procurement Minister Lord Bach said.
"The advanced sensors being fitted incorporates the latest technology which will allow people to be seen at ranges of one kilometre or more - even at night or in poor visibility. It will be a significant boost to our capabilities and I am delighted to say has come in under budget and on time, representing excellent value for the taxpayer."
Captain Jim Goodbourn, Search and Rescue Commander for the RAF Group, said: "RAF Search and Rescue helicopters perform hundreds of rescue operations in and around British coastlines and remote areas every year. This new system, which is at the cutting edge of modern infrared technology, will greatly enhance the capability of the helicopters by allowing them to locate and rescue people in danger much quicker than before.
"This has obvious benefits - the helicopters and their crew can carry out their missions more efficiently and effectively, but most importantly, we have a greater chance of saving the lives of those who need us most."
The £10 million Sea King Multi Sensor System (SKMSS) comprises a thermal imaging camera mounted alongside a daylight TV camera in a gyro-stabilised turret. The turret is mounted on the side of the lower hull of the Sea King and feeds pictures into the cabin where it is displayed and recorded by an airborne video recorder.
SKMSS is a type of forward looking infra red system that works by detecting heat sources (body heat) and displaying it on a dual monitor display inside the aircraft. It can detect a 1 degree Centigrade temperature change from over 1km away. It is controlled by a radar operator who can set the system to search for targets in automatic or manual modes. The automatic mode allows a variety of search methods to be employed to suit different environmental conditions and search criteria.
SKMSS, supplied to the Ministry of Defence by FLIR Systems Ltd, West Malling, Kent, was procured and integrated at a cost of £10m, some £2m below the allocated budget. It will be rolled out across the entire RAF Sea King fleet over the next eighteen months.
RAF Sea Kings are used for the rescue of downed aircrew around the UK and for rescue jobs allocated by the Rescue Coordination Centre at RAF Kinloss -- the latter generates an average of 250 rescues per year per station.
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