UK SECRETARY of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, announced on March 26 that a £1.6 billion contract to provide a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter service for the UK had been awarded to Bristow Helicopters Ltd. The contract follows a competition started on November 28,2011, to procure a SAR helicopter service to replace the combined capability provided by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA) following the collapse of the previous tender under the SAR-H programme. Operations will be introduced progressively from April 2015 with the service scheduled to be fully operational across the UK by July 2017. New helicopters provided by Bristow will replace RAF and RN SAR Sea Kings as well as helicopters operated by civilian contractors on behalf of the MCA. Services under the new contract will operate from between seven to ten years and be managed by the MCA.
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