CHC Helicopter Awarded Search and Rescue Contract with Australian Navy

CHC Group has begun operating a 15-month contract to provide Aviation Emergency Response services out of the Australian Navy base at Nowra, on the south coast of New South Wales.

Provision of the interim search and rescue, aeromedical evacuation (AME) and crash response services will be delivered at HMAS Albatross until the proposed commencement of an ADF wide contract in 2018.

CHC now provides search and rescue, AME and crash response services to all three of the Australian Defence Force services in Australia, covering the Royal Australian Air Force, the Army and Navy base beginning this month.

An auto-hover capable AW139 has been delivered from CHC’s global pool of SAR assets and is compliant and certified to the latest standards for crash resistance. The machine has been used to successfully operate similar SAR services in the United Kingdom.

The AW139 aircraft at the Nowra base will provide search and rescue coverage for all naval helicopter operations in support of aircrew training and Royal Australian Navy Fleet exercises in the local sea training areas.

Vince D’Rozario, Regional Director, CHC Asia Pacific, said:

“CHC is very proud to be awarded this interim contract with the Australian Navy and to be able to stand service up quickly for them.

“I would like to thank Navy for the opportunity to serve them and recognise our experienced team at CHC who put this service together with speed and professionalism.”

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