SAR - AW609 i SAR rollen - Avionics

UAE Selects AW609 Tiltrotor for Search and Rescue

The UAE Joint Aviation Command (JAC) will acquire three AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotors for search-and-rescue missions, the command announced yesterday at the Dubai Airshow. The JAC will be the launch customer for the SAR variant of the twin-engine tiltrotor. The JAC’s selection of the AW609 gives the program a needed boost following the October 30 crash of an AW609 prototype in Italy that claimed the lives of the two crewmembers. UAE military officers did not express concern about the aircraft during the press conference. Plans call for deliveries to the JAC to begin in 2019. The command also has options for three more tiltrotors. It currently operates 11 AgustaWestland AW139s for various missions, SAR among them. With a maximum speed of 275 knots and 750 nm range, the AW609 promises to provide twice the speed and twice the range of a conventional helicopter. The JAC’s decision to buy AW609s follows Monday's announcement that the UAE Air Force will acquire two Bombardier Global 6000-based airborne early warning aircraft from Sweden’s Saab.