Building on previous experience working together, the three British companies aim to work in partnership with the MCA and the MoD to maintain and improve the high standard of search and rescue helicopter service the public currently receives from the six RAF, two Navy and four Bristow coastal bases.

Announcing the partnership, Allan Blake, Director of Bristow Helicopters, Peter Richardson, Managing Director of FB Heliservices and Richard Bond, Business Development Director of Serco state that:

“This British partnership will bring the best of our respective companies to bear for this critical public service, using our collective experience in search and rescue, training, support services and PFI/PPP contracts. The planned changes to the Search & Rescue services in the UK must provide a vehicle for military personnel to retain and enhance their search and rescue skills. We have shown that we can provide a consistent level of helicopter training and available aircraft for the MCA and the MoD over a sustained period and are looking forward to working with them to deliver a similar trusted service for search and rescue.”

Operating a fleet of over 460 helicopters worldwide, Bristow Helicopters has extensive operational experience of providing critical services including 23 years experience of providing search and rescue services in the UK, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. In the UK Bristow currently provides the services operated out Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee on the Solent and Portland.

FB Heliservices (FBH) is a joint venture between Bristow and aerospace and defence specialist, Cobham plc. FBH provides all the helicopters for the Defence Helicopter Flying School and trains more than 220 aircrew each year for the RAF, Royal Navy and Army in the UK, Belize and Brunei. It also provides a search and rescue capability in Cyprus and search and rescue training at RAF Valley in North Wales.

Serco is a major key public service provider, with wide experience of providing assured delivery of logistical and infrastructure support to the UK Government, as well as the provision of engineering and training support for the UK MoD. This includes the current provision of state of the art synthetic training to the MoD's helicopter pilots. Serco is also a leading provider of integrated PFI/PPP-based solutions to governments in the UK and overseas.

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1. In May 2006 the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime Coastguard Agency announced a competition for the provision of helicopter search and rescue services across the UK for a period of between 20 and 30 years to be phased in from 2012 to replace the services currently provided by the MCA (through Bristow Helicopters), the RAF and the Navy.

2. Bristow Helicopters has delivered over 10,000 search and rescue missions for the Maritime Coastguard Agency at Sumburgh, Stornoway, Lee and Portland.

3. The Defence Helicopter Flying School contract is a 15 year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract to provide initial helicopter training (both ground school and flying) to all three UK forces mainly at RAF Shawbury/RAF Valley and SAAvn Middle Wallop.

4. Cobham plc is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced aerospace and defence systems for land, sea and air. The company has five technology divisions and one service division which collectively specialise in the provision of components, sub-systems and services that keep people safe, improve communications and enhance the performance of aerospace and defence platforms.