The Norwegian Minister of Justice and Public Security Anders Anundsen took part in the presentation ceremony of the first of the 16 AW101 helicopters for search and rescue (Search and Rescue - SAR) destined for Norway. The ceremony took place at the Leonardo-Finmeccanica plant in Yeovil in the UK, where in addition to the AW101, best-seller in its category with more than 220 ordered units, the new AW159 naval helicopter that has already achieved commercial success in the Kingdom is produced. United and internationally.
Minister Anundsen said “Today's ceremony marks the achievement of a truly important milestone. The helicopter, destined to be an important and crucial resource for Norwegian rescue services, is now complete and ready for testing. I am very satisfied with the commitment shown so far by Leonardo Elicotteri ”.
Daniele Romiti, Head of the Leonardo Helicopters division, added, "The AgustaWestland AW101, in this configuration, can be considered the most advanced search and rescue helicopter in the world. The peculiar combination of space in the cabin, excellent performance, ability to operate in all weather conditions, sensors and state-of-the-art mission equipment gives this aircraft unparalleled capacity. We look forward to starting deliveries next year and to witnessing the entry into service of the new aircraft for the performance of their SAR tasks to replace the Westland Sea King helicopters, which flew to Norway for 40 years saving thousands of lives ".
Deliveries of helicopters to the Norwegian Air Force, which will operate the AW101 on behalf of the Ministry, will begin in March 2017 and will continue until 2020. As part of the contract, "ready-to-use" support services including spare parts, technical assistance and training will also be provided for 15 years.
The aircraft will be equipped with an advanced package of SAR equipment also including the brand new Osprey electronic scanning radar surveillance system by Leonardo-Finmeccanica. Equipped with three flat antennas, the Osprey is the first lightweight surveillance radar system in the world without moving parts and is able to guarantee 360 ° coverage. The mission equipment also includes a sophisticated autopilot, two winches, searchlight, electro-optical sensor, fully integrated mobile phone, avionics and mission system detection system.
Among the equipment able to guarantee maximum safety in flight are also included two advanced anti-collision systems against cables or other types of obstacles and realized by Leonardo-Finmeccanica, respectively the LOAM (Laser Obstacle Avoidance System) and the OPLS (Obstacle Proximity LIDAR System).
The large size of the side doors and the tail ramp provide ease of access for personnel, survivors and equipment in an 27 cubic meter cabin that provides enough vertical space to allow standing.
The AW101 benefits from the advantages, in terms of safety, of the trimotor formula, an advanced anti-icing system, wide range and high autonomy, a transmission able to continue to work regularly for 30 minutes even without lubrication, in addition to multiple redundancies in avionics and mission systems.
