NSW Police has added a Bell 412EPI and a Cessna Grand Caravan EX to its aviation support branch.
Named PolAir 5 and PolAir 7, the pair was inducted into service at Bankstown Airport on Sunday, boosting the aviation support branch’s fleet to five helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft.
It was the largest fleet of police aircraft in Australia, NSW Police said.
“PolAir plays a very important role in law enforcement in NSW and I am very pleased to welcome these new aircraft and their capabilities into the NSW Police Force,” NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said in a statement.
“The support they provide during search and rescue missions, major crime investigations and counter terrorism operations is invaluable.
“While PolAir 5 and PolAir 7 both have unique capabilities that will prove very useful during specific operations, they also serve a general purpose as a highly visible presence to deter and detect offences and ultimately support a safe NSW.”
PolAir 5, the first Bell 412 EPI in Australia, had a cruise speed of about 120kt, digital touch-screen navigation capabilities and an auto hover autopilot feature for winch rescues, NSW Police said.
Meanwhile PolAir 7 was designed to cruise at 185kt, had a range of more than 750nm and a digital glass cockpit.
