The United Arab Emirates' JAC will be the launch customer for the SAR variant of the Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland TiltRotor

The Joint Aviation Command (JAC) of the United Arab Emirates announced today it has selected the Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland AW609 TiltRotor for search and rescue (SAR) missions. Delivery of the first three AW609 TiltRotors to the JAC, with three additional options, is expected to start in the 2019 timeframe.

The Joint Aviation Command will be the launch customer for the search and rescue variant of the AW609 TiltRotor, which will include a tailored equipment configuration to meet its specific operational requirements.

The Joint Aviation Command said “The AW609’s unique speed and range characteristics, combined with its ability to hover, will dramatically increase SAR mission capabilities of the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command. We look forward to operating the AW609 TiltRotor and utilizing the speed advantage it brings.”

The Joint Aviation Command currently operates eleven AW139 helicopters for a range of missions, including SAR. The Joint Aviation Command will further expand its operational capabilities leveraging on the 275 knot maximum speed and 750 nm range of the AW609 TiltRotor. With approximately twice the speed and twice the range of a helicopter the Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland AW609 can dramatically reduce the time it takes to reach a rescue scene.