CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SAR EXCELLENCE IN PORTUGALThis year the Portuguese Air Force (PtAF) is celebrating the major milestone of 15 years of the EH101 Search and
Rescue (SAR) helicopter in-service. The first two of 12 EH101 (the previous designation of the AW101) helicopters
arrived in Portugal on 11th February 2005 and entered operations in the following year. Six were originally configured
for SAR (Mk 514), four for Combat SAR (Mk516) and two for fisheries protection (Mk515).
The fleet has now achieved over 24,200 flight hours with more than 2,458 lives saved. The Portuguese SAR Region has
an area of over 5 million square kilometres; the largest in Europe and second-largest in the world after Canada. Lengthy
and challenging rescue missions over the years have amply demonstrated
the motto of Esquadra 751, Para Que Outros
Vivam (So Others May Live).In 2011 the PtAF rescued a group of sailors from the Kea with the EH101, comprising 9 hours and 30 minutes of actual
flying time. This rescue is the PtAF’s longest ever SAR mission, both in terms of flight time, and the distance covered of
980 nautical miles, departing from their base in the Azores, including 720 nautical miles of non-stop flight.
Another notable rescue mission involving Esquadra 751 occurred in February 2013. This long-range rescue of a
yachtsman participating in the Vendee Globe round the world race was carried out in heavy sea conditions and at night,
with the total mission time being 8 hours and 30 minutes, and 912 nautical miles being covered.The PtAF have also used their EH101 aircraft to transport various VIPs such as their president, and, in 2010 and 2017, the Pope, where the preparation, planning and installation of a special VIP cabin fit was completed in record time and to the highest standards.
In 2015, Esquadra 751 was awarded by Helicopter Association International the Sikorsky Humanitarian Service Award. This was only the second time in the history of this US-led award that it had been presented to a non-US-based organisation.During all of this time we have played a key role in providing support through traditional arrangements – most recently a ten-year in-service support arrangement (the Fully Integrated Support Solution, FISS). This has been delivered at Monitjo Airbase, working with our Industry partner OGMA.
Looking to the future, we are taking the opportunity to collaborate more closely with the PtAF to design and implement a new in-service support solution within a new commercial framework. It is hoped that this arrangement will be adapted as necessary to meet future challenges such as obsolescence.
Paul Clempson, Head of Military Export Customer Services Management at Leonardo Helicopters, Yeovil, said: “The valued and trusted long-term friendship with Portugal will only serve the EH101 programme well, as we work together to create new opportunities to support 751 Squadron in the long term.”
With a successful product, and a well-established and excellent relationship with our Portuguese customers, it is hoped that the EH101 Programme will continue for another 15 years, alongside of course the other Leonardo platforms Portugal currently operates – the AW119Kx and, soon, the upgraded Lynx Mk95A to be operated by the Portuguese Air Force.
https://www.leonardocompany.com/documents/20142/10370612/AWNewsletter_%2329_Spring2020.pdf/a2b7260e-cdf8-1fbb-60d7-717dc3efaf55?t=1592979564561Abraços