Air Support Unit (Metropolitan Police)

Last updated

Metropolitan Police EC 145 helicopter Metropolitan Police EC 145 helicopter.jpg
Metropolitan Police EC 145 helicopter

The Air Support Unit (ASU) was a Central Operations branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. [1] The main responsibility of the unit was to provide aerial reconnaissance and other air support operations. Helicopters are particularly useful in aiding searches for missing persons, car pursuits, suspect capture and large public order operations such as football matches. The ASU also supported other emergency services, including the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and Marine Coastguard. [2] On 31 March 2015, the National Police Air Service took over providing air support to the Metropolitan Police Service (along with all other police forces in England and Wales). This resulted in the closure of the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit.

The Metropolitan Police Service has also reportedly been secretly using Cessna aircraft for a number of years that have been fitted with surveillance equipment capable of intercepting mobile phone calls and listening in on conversations. [3]

Formed in 1980, [2] [4] the unit was based at Lippitts Hill, Essex and had 48 personnel comprising 3 sergeants, 18 constables, 4 aircraft engineers, 1 avionics engineer, 11 pilots and was headed by an inspector. The unit also employed other members of staff, including operations room staff and an intelligence officer. The senior management were based at Wapping police station. All pilots were ex-military Royal Navy but also Army Air Corps. [2] Each aircraft was crewed by a pilot with two officers acting as observers, and averaged over 260 flying hours per month. [1] [2]

In 1980, the ASU started with Bell 222A helicopters and in 1993 transitioned to Eurocopter AS355N Squirrel helicopters. [2]

In July 2007, the ASU took delivery of three new Eurocopter EC145s costing a total of £15 million, using the call signs India 97, India 98 and India 99. [2] Each aircraft has an L-3 Wescam MX-15 sensor pod which houses a gyro-stabilised colour "day" camera and a thermal imaging camera with digital video downlink from the helicopter. [2]

In February 2015, it was announced that the control of the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit was to be transferred to the National Police Air Service (NPAS) on 31 March, and that the base at Lippitts Hill would close in the following year. A projected new base at Elstree was intended to serve Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Essex as well as London. [5] However, by February 2017, a replacement for the Lippitts Hill base had not been procured, and the possibility of using RAF Northolt instead was being investigated. [6]

On 7 September 2017 it was provisionally agreed by Epping Forest District Council to allow the unit to operate three helicopters and one fixed wing aircraft from North Weald Airfield in Essex, with a 25-year lease. [7] . However, in 2021 NPAS re-established a base at Lippett's Hill at the request of the Met [8]


A former London Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit Bell 222 fitted with a Marconi Heli-Teli in 1982 Bell222-g-metb.jpg
A former London Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit Bell 222 fitted with a Marconi Heli-Teli in 1982

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC120 Colibri</span> Utility helicopter

The EurocopterEC120 Colibri ("hummingbird") is a five-seat, single-engine, light utility helicopter. Jointly designed and developed by Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), Harbin Aviation Industries (Group) Ltd (HAIG) and Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (STAero) at Eurocopter France's Marignane facility, the EC120B was assembled by Eurocopter in France and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Flying Service</span> Department of the Hong Kong Government

The Hong Kong Government Flying Service (HKGFS) is a disciplined unit and paramilitary flying organisation of the Government of Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC135</span> Small utility helicopter

The Eurocopter EC135, now Airbus Helicopters H135, is a twin-engine civil light utility helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters, formerly known as Eurocopter. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and is outfitted with a digital automatic flight control system (AFCS). First flying in February 1994, it entered service in 1996. 1,400 have been delivered up to September 2020, to 300 operators in 60 countries, accumulating over 5 million flight hours. It is mainly used for air medical transport (medevac), corporate transport, law enforcement, offshore wind support, and military flight training. Half of them are in Europe and a quarter in North America. The H135M, certified under the name Eurocopter EC635, is a military variant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil</span> Single engine series of the Ecureuil light helicopter family

The Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, now Airbus Helicopters H125, is a single-engine light utility helicopter originally designed and manufactured in France by Aérospatiale and Eurocopter. In North America, the AS350 is marketed as the AStar. The AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine variant, marketed in North America as the TwinStar. The Eurocopter EC130 is a derivative of the AS350 airframe and is considered by the manufacturer to be part of the Écureuil single-engine family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service</span> Helicopter rescue service in Australia

The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC145</span> Twin-engine light utility helicopter

The Airbus Helicopters H145 is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Originally designated as the BK 117, the H145 is based upon the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 C1, which became a part of the combined Eurocopter line-up in 1992 with the merger of Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm's helicopter division of Daimler-Benz into Eurocopter. The helicopter was earlier named EC145; an updated version, EC145 T2, was renamed H145 in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Weald Airfield</span> Airport in North Weald

North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome, in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. It is home to many private aircraft and historic types, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance helicopter and is an active flight training airfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiltern Air Support Unit</span> Former police aviation service providing air support in part of England

The Chiltern Air Support Unit (CASU) was a police helicopter unit that operated under a consortium agreement between Bedfordshire Police, Thames Valley Police and Hertfordshire Police until 1 October 2012, when it merged into the National Police Air Service.

Police aviation in United Kingdom provides British police forces with an aerial support unit to assist them in pursuit, surveillance and tracking. All police aviation in England and Wales comes under the National Police Air Service (NPAS), while Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland operate independent units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police vehicles in the United Kingdom</span>

Police in the United Kingdom use a wide range of operational vehicles, including compact cars, powerful estates and armoured police carriers. The main uses are patrol, response, tactical pursuit, and public order policing. Other vehicles used by British police include motorcycles, aircraft, and boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasgow City Heliport</span> Airport in Govan, Glasgow

Glasgow City Heliport is a heliport located in Glasgow, Scotland. The Heliport is located at Linthouse Road in Govan, close to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Air Operations Unit</span>

The Cleveland Air Operations Unit (CAOU) was the air support/operations unit for the Cleveland Police force. It has since been replaced with the national asset to police: National Police Air Service (NPAS)

Bond Aviation Group was a British helicopter operator based at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton. It was purchased by Babcock International in 2014. It incorporated Bond Air Services, now renamed Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, and Bond Offshore Helicopters, now renamed Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore.

Babcock Mission Critical Services Onshore, formerly Bond Air Services , is an operator of air ambulance, police, and offshore windfarm helicopters in the UK. Babcock operates a mixed fleet of light twin-engine helicopters custom designed to perform specific and specialised tasks. It operates from 17 bases around the UK. It has base maintenance facilities in Staverton and Glasgow.

The East Midlands Air Support Unit was a joint consortium established to provide police aviation for Leicestershire Constabulary, Northamptonshire Police and Warwickshire Police. It was formed in April 1994 and operated a Eurocopter EC135 from Sulby, near Welford in Northamptonshire.

The North Midlands Helicopter Support Unit was a joint consortium established in 1998 to provide police aviation for Derbyshire Constabulary and Nottinghamshire Police. It was managed by John Jameson and operated a Eurocopter EC135 from Derbyshire Constabulary's headquarters in Ripley, Derbyshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Police Air Wing</span>

The Air Wing is the police aviation unit of Victoria Police that operates in metropolitan Melbourne and provides a service to the whole of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Police Air Service</span> Police aviation service providing air support in England and Wales

The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is a police aviation service that provides centralised air support to the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, as well as the three special police forces serving that area. It replaced the previous structure whereby police forces operated their own helicopters, either individually or in small consortia. The project was coordinated by Alex Marshall. West Yorkshire Police is the lead force, and the service is coordinated from the NPAS Operations Centre, at Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 658 Squadron AAC</span> Military unit

658 Squadron AAC is an Army Air Corps unit of the British Army that provides dedicated aviation support to the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment for domestic counter terrorism (CT) operations. The squadron is co-located with 22 SAS at Stirling Lines. The press has given the squadron, their helicopters, and the CT response force they enable, the nickname "Blue Thunder". The squadron is part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lippitts Hill</span>

Lippitts Hill is a hill located in Epping Forest at High Beach, Waltham Abbey. It has played several historic roles in the defence and policing of London.

References

  1. 1 2 "Metropolitan Police Service - Air Support Unit". Met.police.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Drweiga, Andrew (March 2013). "A Career Policing London's Skies". Rotor and Wing. Vol. 47, no. 3. Rockville, Maryland, USA: Access Intelligence. p. 54. ISSN   1066-8098. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ "Met Police spends millions of pounds on secret aircraft". Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Metropolitan Police Service - History of the Metropolitan Police Service". Met.police.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2002. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
  5. ↑ Davis, Barnaby (23 February 2015). "Lippitts Hill helicopter base will close next year, it has been announced". East London & West Essex Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Elliott, Bryn (March 2017). "Law enforcement - United Kingdom - NAPS" (PDF). Police Aviation News (251): 7. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "EFDC Cabinet Meeting 7th September, 2017". Epping Forest District Council. 7 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "NPAS base reopens at Lippitts Hill". Advance magazine.

51°39′15″N0°1′5″E / 51.65417°N 0.01806°E / 51.65417; 0.01806

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.