RAF Search and Rescue Force
Active1941 – 18 February 2016
Disbanded18 February 2016
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
RoleSearch and Rescue

The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (SARF or SAR Force) was the Royal Air Force organisation which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands, from 1986 until 2016.

The Search and Rescue Force was established in 1986 from the helicopter elements of the RAF Marine Branch which was disbanded that year. The Force supported search and rescue over the United Kingdom until 4 October 2015 when the role was handed over to civilian contractor Bristow Helicopters.

On 18 February 2016, the force's disbandment was officially marked with a parade in front of The Prince of Wales, himself a former SAR pilot, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, his wife.[1]

History

Whaleback high speed air-sea rescue launch HSL 164 off Ceylon in 1943

In 1918 the RAF was established through the merging of the aviation arms of the Royal Navy, the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS), and that of the Army, the Royal Flying Corps. Together with its aircraft, vessels acquired to support RAF seaplane operations were also transferred to the new service,[2] becoming the Marine Craft Section (MCS),[2]

Post-war the MCS became a force of 150 vessels which in addition to supporting the operation of seaplanes were equipped for rescue operations, with a launch being at the ready whenever an aircraft was flying over water.[2] However, the training and seamanship of the crews, especially with regards to navigation, meant that the MCS at this time was only suitable for inshore rescue operations.[2]

As the vessels it had inherited from the Navy began wear out the RAF began to have built for it launches capable of higher speeds and in light of the larger crews of some aircraft, greater capacity. This would in the late 1930s lead to the acquiring of High Speed Launches (HSL) for rescue operations.

However, during the Second World War the MCS found itself ill-prepared for war. During the Battle of Britain even with the help of civilian vessels and the Royal Navy, aircrew who baled out or ditched in the North Sea and English Channel had only a 20 percent chance of being returned to their squadrons, with over 200 pilots and aircrew being lost to the sea during the battle.[2] An informal air-sea rescue was started in July 1940 by Flying Officer Russell Aitken, who with the approval of his senior officer at RAF Gosport, began flying a Supermarine Walrus to rescue pilots downed in the English Channel. By the end of August, when he ceased this work, he had rescued around 35 British and German aircrew.[3]

In light of this, in 1941, an emergency meeting was convened by Air Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris. The Royal Navy offered to take over in its entirety the at sea rescue role, the RAF declined and subsequently created the Directorate of Air Sea Rescue on 6 February 1941, which adopted the motto "The sea shall not have them". Operationally it was to become known as Air Sea Rescue Services (ASRS), which later became the RAF Search and Rescue Force.[4] The headquarters of the ASRS was co-located with that of Coastal Command with which it operated closely.

Together with creation of specialist Air Sea Rescue Units (ASRU), ASRS worked to improve the survival of aircrews through the development and issue of better individual survival equipment, including one man inflatable dinghies for fighter pilots copied from the Germans; the training of aircrew in ditching drills to maximise their chances of surviving to be retrieved; the development and fielding of air droppable survival equipment; and coordination between the different services, branches and units towards the goal of locating and recovering of downed airmen.

Rescue & Target Towing Launch (RTTL) 2757, built in 1957, in the Grounds of the Royal Air Force Museum London, Hendon.

The air-sea rescue squadrons of the ASRS flew a variety of aircraft, usually hand me downs rejected or withdrawn from front line service by the RAF's other branches or as in the case of the Walrus begged from the Navy.[5] They used Supermarine Spitfires and Boulton Paul Defiants to patrol for downed aircrew and Avro Ansons to drop supplies and dinghies. Supermarine Walrus and Supermarine Sea Otter amphibious craft were used to pick up aircrew from the water.[6] Larger aircraft were used to drop airborne lifeboats. Although the Walrus and Sea Otters could pick up survivors close to shore and in coastal waters further out to sea it was still not possible for aircraft to routinely pick up survivors, the large flying boats that could do so, such as the Consolidated Catalinas and Short Sunderlands of Coastal Command, had many other jobs to do and were not always available.[5] The role of aircraft in the ASRS therefore, was to locate downed airmen and to keep them alive, by dropping them survival equipment and stores, until an ASRS launch, or one from the Royal Navy's Naval Sea Rescue Services, arrived to pick them up.[5] Generally MCS craft had responsibility for the Channel and North Sea, and Navy ones for the Western Approaches.

By the end of the Second World War, more than 8,000 aircrew and 5,000 civilians had been rescued. At the end of the Second World War the MCS had some 300 HSLs and over a thousand other vessels,[2] the largest fleet of such rescue craft in the world. This fleet and the RAF sailors that crewed it would contract as the RAF did, however it continued be found everywhere that the RAF flew over water.

Introduction of helicopters

In the mid 1950s, helicopters began to replace fixed–wing aircraft and supplement the marine craft in the search and rescue role, their ability to hover giving them an ability to recover survivors that fixed wing aircraft did not have. It was not until the 1960s, with the introduction of the Westland Whirlwind, the Westland Wessex and later the Westland Sea King, that it was possible to replace marine craft in all sea and weather conditions. Helicopters have the advantage of speed, which means that the same coverage as marine craft can be provided with far fewer bases and much reduced personnel numbers. However, even into the 1970s helicopters had not completely replaced RAF marine craft, however by this time the MCS craft were becoming increasingly elderly and service in the MCS increasingly unattractive.

In 1986 the Marine Branch was disbanded, the last of the RAF's vessels were retired. Henceforth the RAF's rescue operations would be entirely helicopter based, Air Sea Rescue Services would be renamed the Search and Rescue Force.

Role

A SAR Force winchman practising drills.

The SARF's primary roles were military search and rescue, and the provision of rescue for civilian aircraft in distress under the 1948 Chicago Convention. The latter was a delegated responsibility to the UK MoD from the Department of Transport, who had primary responsibility for general search and rescue of any type throughout the UK Search and Rescue Region (UK SRR). The military role involved the rescuing of aircrew who have ejected or parachuted from, or crash-landed their aircraft. This role raises the wartime combat effectiveness of the RAF (and RN) by enabling downed aircrew to be returned to front-line flying duties as soon as possible.

Although established with a primary role of military search and rescue, most of SARF's operational missions were spent in its secondary role, conducting civil search and rescue. This entails the rescue of civilians from the sea, on mountains, from flooded regions or other locations on land.

The aeronautical search and rescue roles were complemented by the related Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service whose trained mountaineers also conduct search and rescue in hilly terrain. SARF helicopters and RAF mountaineers often work together on mountain rescue incidents.

The military and civil roles were shared with the Sea King helicopters of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, while the civil search and rescue role was also shared with the helicopters of HM Coastguard.

Organization

Search and Rescue Helicopter Wing

The wing was formed at RAF Finningley on 1 September 1976, it was disbanded on 1 December 1992.[7]

Search and Rescue Training Unit

The Search and Rescue Training Unit was formed on 3 December 1979 at RAF Valley.[7]

No. 22 Squadron RAF

15 February 1955 - June 1955 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island

June 1955 - June 1956 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF Thorney IslandHampshireJune 1955June 1956[10]
ARAF St MawganCornwallJune 1956April 1956[9]
BRAF Martlesham HeathSuffolk25 June 1955[10]April 1956
BRAF FelixstoweSuffolkApril 1956June 1956Flight moved from Martlesham Heath[9]
CRAF ValleyAnglesey27 September 1955June 1956[9]

June 1956 - April 1974 - HQ at RAF St Mawgan

  • Westland Whirlwind HAR.2 until August 1962 replaced by Whirlwind HAR.10s from August 1962[8]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF St MawganCornwallJune 1956November 1958Moved to Chivenor[9]
ARAF ChivenorDevonNovember 1958April 1974Moved from St Mawgan[9]
BRAF FelixstoweSuffolkJune 1956May 1961Disbanded[9]
BRAF TangmereWest SussexJune 1961February 1973Reformed. Disbanded.
BRAF ColtishallNorfolkApril 1973April 1974Reformed.[9]
CRAF ValleyAngleseyJune 1956April 1974[9]
DRAF ManstonKentJuly 1961March 1969[10]
UnknownRAF St MawganCornwallOctober 1956[10]Preparation for Operation Grapple
UnknownRAF Thorney IslandHampshireDecember 1959[10]

April 1974 - January 1976 - HQ at RAF Thorney Island

  • Whirlwind HAR.10[8]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF ChivenorDevonApril 1974January 1976[9]
BRAF ColtishallNorfolkApril 1974January 1976[9]
CRAF ValleyAngleseyApril 1974January 1976[9]
UnknownRAF Brawdy[10]Pembrokeshire
UnknownRAF Leuchars[10]Fife

January 1976 - June 1976 - HQ at RAF Finningley

  • Whirlwind HAR.10[8]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF ChivenorDevonJanuary 1976June 1976[9]
BRAF ColtishallNorfolkJanuary 1976April 1976Moved to Leuchars[9]
BRAF LeucharsFifeApril 1976June 1976From Coltishall[9]
CRAF ValleyAngleseyJanuary 1976June 1976[9]
UnknownRAF BrawdyPembrokeshire
UnknownRAF ManstonKent
UnknownRAF LeconfieldEast Riding of Yorkshire
22 Squadron Westland Wessex HAR.2 on display at RAF Finningley in 1977.

June 1976 - December 1992[10] - HQ at RAF Finningley

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
HQRAF FinningleySouth Yorkshire1 October 1992[12]
HQRAF St MawganCornwall1 October 1992[12]
ARAF ChivenorDevonJune 1976December 1992[9]
BRAF LeucharsFifeJune 1976December 1992[13]
CRAF ValleyAngleseyJune 1976December 1992[14][12][9]
DDST LeconfieldEast Riding of Yorkshire[11]
ERAF ManstonKent[11]
ERAF ColtishallNorfolkDecember 1992[15]

December 1992 - September 1997 - HQ at RAF St Mawgan[10]

  • Westland Wessex HAR.2[10]
  • Westland Sea King HAR.3 from June 1994[10]
  • Westland Sea King HAR.3A from May 1997[10]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
HQRAF St MawganCornwall[16]
ARM ChivenorDevonDecember 1992Sea King's from disbanded B Flight, 202 Sqn[17] from June 1994[9]
BRAF LeucharsFifeDecember 1992March 1994Disbanded.[9]
BWattisham AirfieldSuffolk18 July 1994Sea King's from disbanded C Flight, 202 Sqn[18]
CRAF ValleyAngleseyDecember 1992September 1997[17][9]
ERAF ColtishallNorfolkDecember 199221 July 1994Disbanded[15]

September 1997 - unknown - HQ at RMB Chivenor[9]

  • Westland Sea King HAR.3/3A
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARM ChivenorDevonHAR.3A[9]
BWattisham AirfieldSuffolkHAR.3A[9]
CRAF ValleyAngleseySeptember 1997HAR.3[9]


Unknown - October 2015 - HQ at RAF Valley

  • Westland Sea King HAR.3/3A
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARM ChivenorDevonOctober 2015[19]
BWattisham AirfieldSuffolk
CRAF ValleyAngleseyJuly 2015[20][21]

No. 110 Squadron RAF

3 June 1959 – 15 February 1971 - HQ at RAF Kuala Lumpur

  • Whirlwind HC.4/HAR.10 & Sycamore HR.13(April 1960-October 1964)
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownNanga GaatBorneo1963November 1967Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
UnknownBrunei1963November 1967Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation

No. 202 Squadron RAF

Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 of 202 Squadron at RAF Coltishall in 1971

August 1964 - September 1976 - HQ at RAF Leconfield

  • Whirlwind HAR.10
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF AcklingtonNorthumberlandSeptember 197421 October 1975[22]
ARAF BoulmerNorthumberland21 October 1975September 1976[22]
CRAF ColtishallNorfolk1973September 1976Previously D Flight[22]
DRAF ColtishallNorfolkAugust 1964April 1973Disbanded.[22]
DRAF ColtishallNorfolkSeptember 19731973Became C Flight[22]
DRAF LossiemouthMoray18 February 1973September 1976Previously B Flight, 22 Sqn[22]
UnknownRAF LeucharsFife[23]
UnknownRAF OustonNorthumberland[23]

September 1976 – 1 December 1992[18] - HQ at RAF Finningley

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF BoulmerNorthumberlandJuly 1978December 1992[14][22]
BRAF BrawdyPembrokeshire1989[14]
CRAF ColtishallNorfolkJuly 19781982Moved to the Falkland Islands[22]
CRAF StanleyFalkland Islands1982August 1983Became No. 1564 Flight RAF[24]
CRAF ManstonKentDecember 1992[25]
DRAF LossiemouthMorayJuly 1978December 1992[22]
ERAF LeconfieldEast Riding of YorkshireNovember 1988December 1992Previously D Flight, 22 Sqn[22]

1 December 1992[18] - April 2008 - HQ at RAF Boulmer

  • Westland Sea King HAR.3[26]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF BoulmerNorthumberlandDecember 1992April 2008[22]
BRAF BrawdyPembrokeshire19891 April 1994[27]
BRAF ChivenorDevon1 April 1994[27]
CRAF ManstonKentDecember 199218 July 1994[28]
DRAF LossiemouthMorayDecember 1992April 2008[18]
ERAF LeconfieldEast YorkshireDecember 1992April 2008[22]

April 2008 - October 2015 - HQ at RAF Valley

  • Westland Sea King HAR.3[26]
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
ARAF BoulmerNorthumberlandApril 2008October 2015[29]
DRAF LossiemouthMorayApril 2008April 2015[30]
ERAF LeconfieldEast YorkshireApril 2008March 2015

No. 228 Squadron RAF

September 1959 - August 1964 - HQ at RAF Leconfield

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF AldergroveCo. AntrimFlight became 118 Sqn

Disbanded into 202 Squadron

No. 275 Squadron RAF

15 October 1941 - April 1944 - HQ at RAF Valley

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF AndreasIsle of Man30 November 194125 Apr 1944
UnknownRAF EglintonCo. Londonderry30 May 194314 Apr 1944

April 1944 - August 1944 - HQ at RAF Warmwell

7 August1944 - 18 October 1944 - HQ at RAF Bolt Head

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF PortreathCornwall7 August194418 October 1944

18 October 1944 – 10 January 1945 - HQ at RAF Exeter

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF PortreathCornwall18 October 194410 January 1945
UnknownRAF Bolt HeadDevon18 October 194410 January 1945

10 January 1945 – 15 February1945 - HQ at RAF Harrowbeer

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF PortreathCornwall10 January 194515 February 1945
UnknownRAF Bolt HeadDevon10 January 194515 February 1945

Disbanded between 1945 & 1953

1 March 1953 – 18 November 1954 - HQ at RAF Linton-on-Ouse

  • Bristol Sycamore HR.13/HR.14

18 November 1954 – 9 October 1957 - HQ at RAF Thornaby

9 October 1957 – 1 September 1959 - HQ at RAF Leconfield

  • Converted to Whirlwind HAR.2/HAR.4 in March 1959

Disbanded into 228 Squadron

No. 276 Squadron RAF

21 October 1941 - September 1944 - HQ at RAF Harrowbeer

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownQuerquevilleFranceAugust 1944September 1944Covering Normandy landings

September 1944 - Unknown - HQ at Querqueville

  • Lysander, Walrus, Hurricanes, Defiants, Spitfires and Warwicks
  • Warwicks handed over to 277 Squadron in October 1944

Unknown - 23 August 1945 - HQ in Belgium

23 August 1945 – 10 November 1945 - HQ at Kjevik, Norway

10 November 1945 – 14 November 1945 - HQ at RAF Dunsfold

No. 277 Squadron RAF

22 December 1941 – 26 February 1945 - HQ at RAF Stapleford Tawney

  • Lysander, Walrus, Defiant, Spitfire, Sea Otter & Warwick

Detachments at RAF Martlesham Heath, RAF Hawkinge, RAF Shoreham and RAF Tangmere.

No. 278 Squadron RAF

No. 279 Squadron RAF

16 November 1941 - October 1944 - HQ at RAF Bircham Newton

FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF SumburghShetland Islands28 April 194229 May 1942
UnknownRAF BenbeculaOuter Hebrides29 June 19421942
UnknownRAF LeucharsFife15 July 19421942
UnknownRAF ReykjavikIceland26 July 194215 August 1942
UnknownRAF Thorney IslandWest Sussex14 August 194215 August 1942
UnknownRAF ChivenorDevon15 August 194219 August 1942
UnknownRAF St EvalCornwall23 August 19425 February 1943
UnknownRAF BeaulieuHampshire25 September 19421942
UnknownRAF Davidstow MoorCornwall5 February 19439 June 1943
UnknownRAF HarrowbeerDevon9 June 194314 December 1943
UnknownRAF WickHighlands28 September 19431945
UnknownRAF ReykjavikIceland1 January 19441 August 1944

October 1944 - September 1945 - HQ at RAF Thornaby

  • Vickers Warwick
FlightBaseCountyFromUntilNotes
UnknownRAF TainRoss and Cromarty1 October 1944September 1945
UnknownRAF WickHighlands1 October 1944September 1945
UnknownRAF BanffAberdeenshire31 October 194427 December 1944
UnknownRAF FraserburghAberdeenshire27 December 1944September 1945
UnknownRAF ReykjavikIceland26 May 1945September 1945
UnknownRAF BanffAberdeenshireJuly 1945September 1945
1348 (ASR) FltRAF PeguBurmaJuly 1945Unknown

3 September 1945 – 10 March 1946 - HQ at RAF Beccles

No. 280 Squadron RAF

No. 281 Squadron RAF

No. 282 Squadron RAF

No. 283 Squadron RAF

No. 284 Squadron RAF

2015

Operational locations of aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom. The colour of the location mark indicates the agency providing helicopter response (blue: Fleet Air Arm, yellow: RAF Search and Rescue Force, red: His Majesty's Coastguard).

The SAR Force headquarters was situated at RAF Valley on Anglesey. In addition to the Force HQ proper, the HQ building housed the HQs of the RAFs two operational SAR squadrons in the UK (22 and 202), as well as the RAF Sea King Simulator. SAR Force HQ controlled the SAR Force's three helicopter squadrons and one independent flight. These were:

SARF's Operational Conversion Unit was No. 203 Squadron also based at RAF Valley and equipped with the Sea King HAR.3.

Coordination

In the UK, maritime search and rescue is coordinated by HM Coastguard, while land-based operations are usually coordinated by the local Police force.

From 1941 until the end of 1997 there were two Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centres (ARCC) – at Plymouth and at Edinburgh. These two were combined in 1997 at RAF Kinloss in the north of Scotland. All requests for assistance from the emergency services throughout the United Kingdom (Police, Fire, Ambulance and Coastguard) were handled at this single ARCC until March 2016 when responsibility for the service was transferred to civilian personnel of His Majesty's Coastguard.[31]

Disbandment

Planned operational locations of aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom from 2017. The colour of the location mark indicates the type of helicopter at each location (blue: AgustaWestland AW189, red: Sikorsky S-92).

In 2006, the government announced controversial plans to effectively privatise provision of search and rescue helicopters in order to replace the ageing Sea Kings, although they have suggested that crews may, at least partially, still be made up of military personnel.[32]

In February 2010, Soteria SAR was announced as the preferred bidder for the UK SAR programme.[33] On 8 February 2011, days before the contract was due to be signed, the UK Government halted the process after Soteria admitted that it had unauthorised access to commercially sensitive information regarding the programme.

While this contract is being renegotiated, a "Gap" contract was tendered for the existing Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) bases and in February 2012 it was announced that Bristow Helicopters would take over the running of Stornoway and Sumburgh using Sikorsky S-92s and that Portland and Lee on Solent would be retained by CHC Helicopter using AgustaWestland AW139s.

In March 2013 the Department for Transport announced that it had signed a contract with Bristow Helicopters Ltd to provide search and rescue helicopter services in the UK with operations commencing progressively from 2015.[34] The new service was fully operational across the United Kingdom by May 2019[35][36] and will use AgustaWestland AW189 and Sikorsky S-92 based at ten locations around the UK.[37]

See also

References

Citations

  1. Royal Air Force. "RAF Search and Rescue Force Disbandment Parade". Facebook. Retrieved 18 February 2016. and "RAF Search and Rescue Force Disbandment Parade". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sutherland, Jon; Canwell, Diane (2010). The RAF Air Sea Rescue Service 1918–1986. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 184884303-8.
  3. Pearson & Gorman 2020, pp. 31–33.
  4. "A force for good that's saved 1000s of lives". RAF News. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 Jefford, Jeff (2007). "The ASR Air Orbat in WWII" (PDF). RAF Historical Society Journal. Royal Air Force Historical Society (40): 34–44. ISSN 1361-4231. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  6. London, Peter (2003). British Flying Boats. Stroud: Sutton. p. 182. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3.
  7. 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 232.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jefford 1988, p. 32.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Flack 2005, p. 202.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Flack 2005, p. 201.
  11. 1 2 3 Delve 1994, p. 91.
  12. 1 2 3 Jackson 1995, p. 14.
  13. Jackson 1995, p. 12.
  14. 1 2 3 Jackson 1990, p. 100.
  15. 1 2 Jackson 1995, p. 9.
  16. Jackson 1995, p. 13.
  17. 1 2 Jackson 1995, p. 24.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Jackson 1995, p. 30.
  19. Brown, Peter (5 October 2015). "RAF Search and Rescue operations end as 22 Squadron is stood down". North Devon Journal. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  20. "RAF Sea King Lands for the Last Time as an Operational SAR Flight at RAF Valley". Royal Air Force. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  21. "Chivenor Sea King Completes Final RAF UK Operational Sortie". Royal Air Force. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Flack 2005, p. 213.
  23. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 68.
  24. Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 127.
  25. March 1990, p. 82.
  26. 1 2 "202 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  27. 1 2 Jackson 1995, p. 15.
  28. Jackson 1995, p. 16.
  29. "Sea Kings Depart RAF Boulmer". Royal Air Force. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  30. "Last RAF Sea King helicopter leaves Lossiemouth as Bristow takes over". STV News. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  31. Hendry, Ben (6 April 2016). "Moray search and rescue operations transferred to the south of England". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  32. "Private Bids Plan for Air Rescue". BBC News. 9 May 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  33. "MOD and MCA/DfT selects Soteria for SAR-H Programme". Soteria SAR. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  34. "Government contract to deliver faster, state of the art search and rescue fleet". Department for Transport. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  35. "Coastguard Takes Delivery of 2 new State of the Art SAR Helicopters". Oil Industry News. 1 May 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  36. "Written statement to Parliament: Search and rescue helicopters". Department for Transport. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  37. "Bristow Group to take over UK search and rescue from RAF". BBC News. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.

Bibliography

  • Delve, K. (1994). The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Flack, J. (2005). The Modern RAF. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-616-2.
  • Jackson, R. (1990). Air Force - The RAF in the 1990s. London, UK: Guild Publishing. ISBN 978-1853101014.
  • Jackson, P. (1995). Royal Air Force (Second Edition). UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2338-7.
  • Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • March, P. (1990). Royal Air Force Yearbook 1990. Fairford, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
  • Pearson, S.; Gorman, E. (2020). Battle of Britain: The Pilots and Planes That Made History. London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-529-37807-8.
  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.
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