| Salthill Millennium Air Show - Souvenir Brochure - July 4th, 1999 | ||
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| The newly established Garda Air
Support Unit, as it is officially known, has been recently established
and is temporarily based at the former Aer Lingus departure lounge at Baldonnel
(more fondly known as the "Light Strike" building). The new Air Support
Unit has taken delivery of a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft which
are flown by Air Corps pilots and crewed by Garda observers. The
helicopter contract was awarded to France's Eurocopter International for
its AS355N Twin Squirrel. The fixed wing aircraft is the Pilatus
Britten-Norman Defender 4000. The maintenance of the aircraft is
carried out by Air Corps technicians at Casement Aerodrome. The versatility
and range of operations capable of being carried out with air support means
that helicopters and aeroplanes have become a routine part of many police
force's day to day operations. The role of the supporting aircraft
is simply to keep ground forces in touch with what is happening on the
ground, and to give the appropriate directions. The aircraft can
also be used during operations where radio contact is lost by ground mobiles
due to bad terrain such as mountains, by using the aircraft as a relay
point, and full coverage is possible.
The AS355N Squirrel Five UK police forces have already adopted the AS355N. The major attraction of the AS355N are the high power provided by its twin Turbomeca Arrius 1A turboshafts, which develop maximum take off power of 579 SHP (429 kw). The low vibration level also helps to reduce noise levels which is a major consideration in urban night-time flying. The spacious uncluttered cabin of the Squirrel allows mission specific equipment to be integrated while retaining excellent visibility. The Garda's Squirrel carries a thermal imaging camera (FLIR) and a TV camera package mounted under the machine's nose. It also has a "Nightsun" searchlight capable of illuminating Croke Park from 1000 ft. The PBN Defender 4000
Its maximum take off and landing weight is 3855 kg, while its maximum payload with a full fuel load is 724kg. Its short take off and landing capability means the Defender will be able to land on a number of airfields across the country. The Defender is equipped to the same specification as the helicopter with regard to thermal imaging and TV cameras, and with its longer endurance and IFR capability, it is designed to complement the helicopter operation. |
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