Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre
Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre ARCC Fareham | |
---|---|
HM Coastguard) | |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Maritime and Coastguard Agency |
Role | Civil maritime and aeronautical search and rescue coordination |
Part of | His Majesty's Coastguard |
Location | National Maritime Operations Centre, Fareham, Hampshire, England |
Insignia | |
Abbreviation | ARCC |
Aircraft flown | |
Helicopter | |
Patrol |
The United Kingdom's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is based at the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC), Fareham, Hampshire.
Structure
The centre is responsible for coordinating all
Sikorsky S-92 helicopters can operate in excess of 250 miles from their base, with an endurance of over four hours.
AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters can operate in excess of 200 miles from their base, with an endurance of over four hours.
Beechcraft Super King Air B200 aircraft can operate in excess of 400 miles from their base at Doncaster, with an endurance of over five hours. For longer range SAR incidents the aircraft can rapidly deploy to other airfields.
Piper PA-31 Navajo Panther aircraft can operate in excess of 200 miles from their base in Doncaster, with an endurance of over four hours. Again, the aircraft can be forward deployed to other airfields around the UK.
Fareham has no helicopter squadrons, however it controls rescue helicopters and fixed wing aircraft based at:
Helicopters
- Stornoway Airport on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides
- Shetland Islands
- Lee-on-Solent, four miles west of Portsmouth in Hampshire
- Portland, within Portland Harbour
- Humberside Airport
- Inverness Airport
- Caernarfon Airport
- Lydd Airport
- St Athan
- Prestwick Airport
- Newquay Airport
Fixed Wing Aircraft
History
The RAF Search and Rescue Force began in 1941, mainly rescuing aircrew from ditched aircraft.[1] On 12 December 1997, the two control centres in Plymouth and Edinburgh were combined into one site at RAF Kinloss.[2] During its time as part of the RAF its motto was Constant Endeavour.[1]
In March 2016 ownership of tasking search and rescue aircraft transferred from the RAF to HM Coastguard based at the National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) in Fareham, Hampshire.
Preparedness
Coastguard helicopters and fixed wing aircraft are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to assist those in difficulty, both at sea and over land. Helicopter crews are at 15 minutes notice from 8am until 10pm, extending to 45 minutes notice from 10pm until 8am overnight. Fixed wing crews are at 45 minutes notice from 8am until 10pm, extending to 60 minutes notice from 10pm until 8am overnight.
Control centre
The control centre is staffed by HM Coastguard, who operate long-range HF and satellite communications equipment. And coordinating the tasking of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft following requests from the emergency services. With an area of responsibility spanning almost 1 million square miles, the ARCC deals with incidents across the whole of the UK out to halfway across the North Atlantic.
Personnel
ARCC coordinating staff come from a variety of backgrounds within the aviation and military community and work very closely with the Coastguard, Police, Ambulance Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services.
Incidents
During recent years the ARCC has assisted with rescues during the Sheffield floods, the
UK Mission Control Centre
The NMOC is also home to the UK
References
- ^ ISSN 0035-8614.
- ^ March 1998, p. 87.
- March, Peter R. (1998). Royal Air Force Yearbook 1998. Fairford, UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
External links
- RAF Search and Rescue
- Bristow Search and Rescue (HM Coastguard helicopters)
- 2Excel Aviation (HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft)