The Met completes installation of new helicopters

Skyquest Aviation has completed the supply of their VMS mission systems for London’s Metropolitan Police. Three Eurocopter EC145 helicopters have been fully mission equipped using Skyquest’s latest video management technology bringing total flexibility and enhanced mission management to the police air support wing.

Each of the EC145 helicopters is fitted with five multi-function high definition mission displays capable of displaying single or multiple images to each user. Using Skyquest’s ‘quad’ technology an airborne police observer can view all the information from his multi-sensor camera system as well as a moving map on the screen simultaneously and choose which sensor is giving him the most important information.

Single or quad view images can be recorded and transmitted via the aircraft’s microwave link system to ground based receivers bringing new levels of data and information to commanders on the ground.

As part of Skyquest’s supply, each aircraft is also fitted with four video recorders and a host of other mission equipment including a comprehensive video management unit enabling aircraft installation to be simplified by only requiring one cable to be routed to each display. The single cable manages the total distribution of all signals on the aircraft and handles signal conversion and amplification to enable all displays to view the same image (if required) without any signal loss.

Skyquest’s integration of ANPR computers, external hoist cameras, and other mission management computers provides total flexibility to each user.

Sergeant Richard Brandon from the Metropolitan Police said: “Skyquest’s VMS system has proven to deliver everything we wanted from our mission system on board the new EC145’s. It provides us with a comprehensive and leading edge video system enabling us to undertake a range of different roles without the need for re-configuring equipment. We can view, record and transmit whatever information we need – whilst one observer is looking at the infra red sensor another can be viewing other sensor information from the same camera system but on a different display simultaneously.”

Skyquest has received multiple orders for its VMS system since its launch last year and the system is fast becoming the standard fit for many airborne surveillance users throughout Europe.