Purchase of Replacement Force Helicopter

Transcription

1 Agenda No. 8 Devon and Cornwall Police Authority Resources Committee 23 November 2006 Open for the purposes of FOI Report of Captain Ian Payne and the Chief Constable Purchase of Replacement Force Helicopter Recommendation: (i) (ii) The Resources Committee acknowledges the potential Home Office funding offer and notes the outstanding financial requirement and order deadlines. The process to purchase a Eurocopter EC 145 helicopter is continued subject to confirmation of Home Office funding and presentation of a full business case to the PA. Introduction 1. The current Force helicopter is a Eurocopter BK 117 C1-C. Purchased in 1998 it is used extensively in Europe and the United States as an emergency service aircraft. The helicopter is role equipped to a high specification with surveillance equipment. The helicopter further benefits from full single pilot instrument flight rules (SPIFR) configuration, allowing planned transit flights and recovery in marginal weather conditions and a significant safety benefit in the event of inadvertent or unplanned cloud entry. The introduction of Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS) compatible cockpit with all crews qualified to fly on Night Vision Goggles (NVG) has proved to be both a safety benefit and a significant operational benefit. Background Information 2. BCU evidence suggests that Force helicopter presence impacts on crime levels and increases public reassurance. It is a vital tool in terms of command and control at major incidents and in intelligence and evidence gathering. 3. The helicopter is particularly efficient and cost effective in conducting area search tasks with the ever improving performance of onboard role equipment and night vision technology an important benefit to the Force at particularly night. Extensive search tasks conducted by the helicopter allow ground units to be re-deployed to more appropriate tasks. The helicopter may be modified further to accept additional technical role equipment shown to have very effective airborne applications for example ANPR. 4. The BK 117 as an airframe has proved to be a reliable and powerful aircraft and crews have taken full advantage of the increased endurance and payload over previous helicopter types and improved operating facilities at Plymouth Airport and Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. It has significant cabin capacity and has been used as rapid transport to carry up to six firearms officers, four man fire brigade search team and dog, and numerous other load combinations. The helicopter is repositioned on a regular basis to the extremities of what is the largest area in the UK.

2 5. In addition, and based currently on an informal arrangement with the ambulance service, the helicopter has been responsible for an average of 25 casualty evacuations per year over the past 5 years, where generous cabin space and increased payload has been invaluable. It is anticipated that further collaboration will occur between the two services. 6. The last Force inspection of the Air Operations Unit acknowledged the considerable contribution of the helicopter to the Force where the cost benefits identifiable in terms of area search in particular are well understood and acknowledged. 7. The current helicopter has flown in the region of 6400 hours and at the current annual flying rate of 1000 hours per year the helicopter could remain in useful service for a period of 2-3 years, after which flight instrument and avionics reliability and spare part availability will become a problem. Recent unscheduled events have revealed this increasingly to be the case. It is planned that the current helicopter is replaced in 2009/10. Replacement Type Selection 8. Air Operations Unit staff have considerable experience of a number of potential replacement helicopter types available on the market and have evaluated and flown the following specific types considered within the industry to be the most appropriate. Eurocopter EC 145 Eurocopter EC 135 MD 902 Explorer Agusta Westland 109 Grand 9. Technical and operational appraisal has been undertaken on the four helicopter types by visiting all potential UK distributors and a number of units operating the differing types. The Unit has further discussed in some detail the findings of a comprehensive technical and flight test report compiled recently by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). As a result a detailed technical business case has been compiled for the Project Board and is available if required. 10. Force staff visited Police Aviation Services (PAS) Limited UK distributor of the MD 902 and two units operating the type, Greater Manchester and West Midlands Air Operations Units and revealed the following facts; A critical spares shortage over the past two years has resulted in very low levels of operational availability particularly in the West Midlands helicopter and the London HEMS helicopter has been grounded for a considerable time following an incident awaiting replacement parts. While Greater Manchester have more confidence in the manufacturer s spares recovery programme they still rely at times upon inter unit liaison in locating some spares rather than the contracted engineering organisation. This is considered a high risk solution and is unacceptable. West Midlands Police have recently ordered an EC 135 to replace their MD 902 having been unhappy with a number of aspects of the helicopter but in particular product support. PAS showed themselves to be initially reluctant to market the helicopter. The Force is currently contractually engaged with PAS in role equipment installation work and following the departure

3 of senior staff from the company have shown significant shortcomings in terms of liaison and communication. 11. Force staff visited both Sloane Helicopters Limited, UK distributor of the Agusta Westland 109 and the only operational unit at Dyfed Powys and revealed the following facts. The helicopter is a very fast in comparison with other models, but the unit do not undertake a significant number of rapid transport and Casevac tasks that inevitably require internal flexibility and cabin space. Force staff considered that internally the airframe is too small and inflexible for the Force requirement. The helicopter is fitted with a retractable undercarriage system rather than skids. The retraction of undercarriage contributes significantly to reducing airframe drag and hence higher speeds but also results in reduced ground clearance, and considerable debate has taken place over many years regarding the operational viability of wheel fitted aircraft landing on unprepared surfaces. The nature of operations in the Force area inevitably expose the Force helicopter to such environments and Force staff consider that a skid fitted helicopter is more suitable. Dyfed Powys commented particularly on the level of support afforded by Sloane helicopters. While Force staff were impressed by the parent organisation it was felt that the emphasis on corporate machines and very limited exposure to the police and emergency service market presented a risk in terms of support to future police role equipped helicopters. 12. It is considered that the purchase of either the MD 902 or Agusta 109 Grand represents a retrograde step in terms of endurance, payload and internal cabin space when compared with the current Force helicopter. Product support arrangements are considered a risk and would represent a significant deterioration in comparison with current excellent relationship with Eurocopter. On this basis it is considered that either the EC 145 or EC 135 should be considered in more detail as potential replacements. 13. Force staff visited McAlpine Helicopters Limited (MHL), the UK distributor for Eurocopter and Western Counties Air Operations Unit (WCAOU) operating the EC 135 helicopter. There are currently no EC 145 helicopters in service, but staff were able to view in detail three airframes currently undergoing role conversion for the MPS. 14. An operational comparison between the current helicopter, EC 145 and EC 135 helicopters was conducted using some typical operating parameters. Under normal ambient conditions the EC 145 exceeded the performance of both other helicopters when loaded with maximum fuel and operating crew and when significant payloads were introduced. The vertical take off (helipad) performance of the EC 145 was shown to be slightly deficient under conditions of high temperature and low pressure altitude. The extended take off area at conventional airfields would maximise the increased fuel capacity of the EC 145 over both the current helicopter and the EC The EC 135 exceeded the endurance of both other helicopters when loaded with current standard fuel load and operating crew but was compromised when payloads were introduced. Recent technical improvements have been made but air ambulance staff operating the type at Middlemoor and WCAOU staff at Filton have misgivings with regard to power available at ad hoc landing sites and internal payload capacity.

4 16. Utilising figures provided by Eurocopter, MHL and the MPS it is possible to compare the hourly operating costs. The predicted costs of the EC 145 are comparable with the current helicopter. The EC 145 is a more expensive helicopter to operate but larger and more capable than the EC As a series development of the current BK 117 helicopter the EC 145 benefits from proven technology in the production of a very capable modern helicopter. The forward cockpit area and instrument console are derived from the EC 135, currently the most popular emergency helicopter in the UK, and engineering synergies therefore exist with the air ambulance helicopter based at Middlemoor. 18. The current Force helicopter was purchased as a previously owned low airframe hours demonstrator aircraft. Force staff remain mindful of the possibility of acquiring a helicopter in this way but given the recent development history of the EC 145 it is unlikely that such a model will be available in a suitable timescale. There is however considered to be ready second hand market for the Force machine. 19. A number of items of role equipment were transferred from the previous Force helicopter to the current machine. While at the time this move was considered financially expedient, subsequent integration and operational reliability issues have shown this to be a false economy. In 2006 the current helicopter underwent a full mid life refit including major items of role equipment and it is considered that this equipment would in any case require replacement in similar timescale to the acquisition of a new airframe. Equipment transfer is not recommended. Finance 20. Following a recent capital funding bid to the Home Office informal indications suggest that the Force will be allocated maximum possible funding of 1.68m. Indicative project figures are; EC m 4.5m Airframe + 1.0m Role equipment Current Value BK m Home Office Grant 1.68m Replacement Reserve 1.5m Assumed reserve 2009/10 as per the medium-term financial plan Latest Funding Requirement 1.02m To enable the planning assumptions for both replacement and financing to be progressed 21. These figures may be modified by variation of the Euro exchange rate on new a helicopter purchase, VAT recovery, and variation in the value of the current helicopter at the point of sale. The Home Office advises that the Force may bid for supplementary funding should the sale price fall below 1.3m. Summary 22. The Force helicopter is programmed for replacement in 2009 / 10. Following extensive research, two potential types have been discounted for both operational capability and product support reasons. Of the remaining Eurocopter products, the EC 145 exceeds the endurance of the EC 135 under the majority of prevalent ambient conditions. The EC 135 compares favourably to both the current helicopter and the EC 145 in terms of endurance under some conditions, but is limited in cabin capacity and endurance when payloads are introduced. The Force helicopter requires the flexibility to carry significant internal payloads.

5 23. Force staff therefore favour a new Eurocopter EC 145 helicopter as a replacement for the current helicopter. Manufacturer lead time for this aircraft is currently 24 months and it should be noted that the Force needs to place an order at the latest by 31 March 2008 for delivery in 2009 /10. Contact: for further information Ian Payne Manager, Air Operations Ian.PAYNE@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk