Netherlands CG will receive AW189

In November 2022, the Kustwacht (NLCG, Netherlands Coastguard) will receive two Leonardo AW189 that will be used for Search and Rescue (SAR) in the North Sea area and the spacious inland waterways.

The helicopters will be leased from Bristow Helicopters Ltd for a period of ten years. The company will not only fly the helicopters, but will also maintain them.

The AW189 is a twin-engined, medium-lift helicopter manufactured by Leonardo S.p.A. (formerly AgustaWestland, merged into Leonardo-Finmeccanica since 2016). It is derived from the AW149, and shares similarities with the AW139 and AW169. The helicopter can accommodate nineteen people excluding crew. The crew on board consists of two pilots, a winch operator, a rescue swimmer and an ambulance nurse as standard.

On 3 June 2022, the first AW189 with registration G-MCGN (msn 92001) made a short stop at Den Helder/De Kooy Airport today, before flying on to Lee-on-Solent (UK). The crews will be trained at Lee-on-Solent, to ensure that they are ready to conduct SAR operations from November this year.

Three AW189s have been earmarked to be deployed under this lease contract, for which Dutch registrations PH-RSQ and PH-SAR have been reserved; the third one is possibly PH-NCG. Two helicopters will be operated at the same time.

The NLCG is an independent organisation. They carry out tasks for six Ministries. As administrator, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) is responsible for the organisation and management of the NLCG. The majority of the personnel at the Coast Guard Center are employed by the MoD.

Photo via Kustwacht