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US Coast Guard to purchase SAR helicopter for Malta
28 May 2012 - 9:43
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has launched a programme to buy a second-hand SAR helicopter for use by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) it has been revealed.
The deal, tendered on 16 May reveals that the USCG plans to award a single firm-fixed price contract for one used rotary-wing aircraft 'suitable for land and sea operations.'
Tender documents say the helicopter must be a multi-engined aircraft with a marinised airframe to deal with operations over water.
It needs to have sliding doors on one or both sides of the cabin and a floor attachment 'that makes it possible to install a removable light machine gun (7.62mm) door pintle mount.'
The aircraft needs to have tricycle-wheeled landing allowing for shipboard operations as well as floatation devices for overwater operations.
Maximum gross weight should not exceed 4.99 metric tonnes and the overall length of the helicopter should not be more than 17.5m.
Only a handful of aircraft currently available fit this requirement.
These include the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin and the EC155, Sikorsky's S-76 family and the A109 Grand.
The tender documents do not reveal when the helicopter needs to be delivered.
The Maltese Armed Forces have been updating their fleet in recent years with the addition to two Beech King Airs for maritime surveillance and patrol.
SAR is currently provided by the Italian Air Force who fly a pair of AB212 helicopters from the island’s Luqa airport.
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