LONDON – The Bristow Group has announced that they have received a 10-year contract to operate search and rescue missions for the Dutch Coast Guard.
Contract
The contract is a 10-year contract from the Dutch Coast Guard to perform search and rescue missions.
The contract has 2 one-year extension options and it will commence on November 4, 2022.
They will be proving “the permanent availability of dedicated SAR equipped AW189 helicopters and highly qualified crews from two operational bases in the Netherlands” according to Bristow.
Bristow will, per the contract, be tasked by the Joint Rescue Coordination in Den Helder. They are also tasked with aiding secondary tasks such as dealing with the aftermath of disasters, incidents, and transportation of the Maritime Incident Response Group.
“We are honored the DMO has placed their trust in Bristow with the award of this prestigious contract. We look forward to our return to the Netherlands and providing this valuable service for the Netherlands Coastguard,” said Alan Corbett, Senior Vice President for Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Search and Rescue.
“As the leading provider of government SAR services, we will provide a modern fleet of helicopters along with highly experienced aircrews and engineers to provide an unmatched, life-saving capability as the best value to the government.”
“We look forward to re-establishing our vast SAR experience, efficiencies, and leading Target Zero safety culture to the Netherlands,” said Bristow President and CEO Chris Bradshaw.
“This award confirms the differentiating value proposition we are able to bring based on our proven experience, commitment to innovation and sustainability, and enhanced capabilities that we deliver to our clients worldwide.”
About Bristow
Bristow has been founded in 1955 in the UK and currently is a helicopter operator who provides various services such as helicopter training, search and rescue, oil exploration, and charter flights for many countries such as Mexico, Norway, Russia, Egypt, and many more.
Bristow also operates with joint ventures in the same countries to extend its range of services into new and developing oil and gas markets and helps provide a lower cost structure in some operating areas.
Bristow is also operating SAR in other countries such as the United Kingdom, where they will be operating the missions until 2023.
Dutch coast guard
The Dutch Coast Guard currently operates a fleet of 2 Dornier 228, 3 types of helicopters, and multiple types of vessels.
The helicopters are operated by different parties, the police with 2 AW139 which are on standby for when the Coast Guard needs to use them.
While the police are unable to assist during the rescue missions, because of the installations such as a camera on board, the helicopters are very useful in search missions.
NHV, a Belgian civil company, provides 3 AS365 helicopters, with 2 being stationed in Den Helder and the other one being stationed in the harbor of Rotterdam.
The last operator is the Dutch Air Force, which is able to assist the coast guard when the capacity becomes insufficient with the NH90 helicopter.
The coast guard is really showing its cuts.
They have no helicopter of their own as, as mentioned, they are using helicopters from another organization. This does not mean that it’s bad, however.
If the government is able to efficiently operate these helicopters, then it would be for the best.
Bristow is also planning to introduce new technologies such as mission management and data-link systems, enhancing the interoperability of the service with all Netherlands SAR stakeholders.
