The Swedish Maritime Administration has signed an agreement with the Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland SpA to acquire seven new AW139 helicopters for its nation-wide search and rescue (SAR) service. The first delivey is expected in May 2013. The agency states that “[the] AW139 is a proven rescue helicopter that is optimal for Swedish conditions and certified according to international standards.”

The Maritime Administration is the agency responsible for Swedish sea- and air rescue. A key part of the business is its helicopter service that is available for rescues at sea and over land. They are available at five duty stations along the Swedish coast – Ronneby, Visby, Gothenburg, Norrtälje and Umeå. They are in alert around the clock all year and ready to commence an action within 15 minutes after an emergency call.

“The acquisition of new rescue helicopters provides an increased capacity and capability in sea and air rescue operations, thereby ensuring the operational needs and the current set of requirements” states the agency. The acquisition is part of an ongoing commitment to ensure a sustainable sea and air rescue service in Sweden. The new helicopters will gradually replace the current fleet of Sikorsky S-76C+/++ from mid-2013 until the end of 2014.

“It is very satisfying that, in the future, we will get an improved capacity and the ability to save lives without increasing the total cost of operations”, says Naomi Eriksson, the Swedish Maritime Administration Deputy Director and General of the sea and air rescue department.

The helicopter services are operated by SMA Helicopter Rescue, which is a subsidiary of Sjöfartsverket Holding and administered by the Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket). The agency is a public enterprise that is 70 percent funded with fees from the commercial maritime shipping industry.

Reproduced from Nordic Rotors with permission. Copyright and full responsibility for the content of this article remains with Nordic Rotors

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