Defence and Security Review put an end
to this idea and set out to completely end
military involvement in UK SAR operations.
Two RAF SAR bases closed on April
1 last year as part of a phased process
to handover to a civilian operator, when
the detachments of 202 Sqn at RAF
Lossiemouth in Moray and RAF Lecon eld
in Humberside stood down. No.202 Sqn’s
‘A’ Flight at RAF Boulmer, Northumberland,
closed on October 1 and its sister unit, 22
Sqn, shut its rescue detachments at RAF
Valley (July 1), Wattisham Flying Station in
Suffolk (August 13) and RMB Chivenor in
Devon (October 4).
Bristow Helicopters-operated Sikorsky
S-92 and AgustaWestland AW189 helicopters
have taken over the role.
The nal military SAR in the UK was
provided by the Royal Navy at RNAS Culdrose
and at Prestwick which both stood down at
00:01hrs on January 1, 2016 The last Sea
King HU5 will be retired in March this year.
Down in the Falkland Islands, 1564 Flight
will continue to provide SAR cover with Sea
King HAR3s until the end of March.
As this drawdown was under way, the
CHF was also in the process of handing in its
Sea King HC4s and taking on charge ex-RAF
Merlin HC3/3As at RNAS Yeovilton. The nal
unit operating the HC4, 848 NAS, will retire
the type on March 31 this year.
The last nine Sea King ASaC7s have
been extended in service until 2018 to provide
airborne early warning coverage for the Royal
Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft
carriers.MIGHTY HELICOPTER
With the sun setting on the operational life
of the Westland Sea King, its contribution to
British military operations in a career lasting
over four decades can be assessed. Without
a doubt, Britain’s Sea Kings have been the
‘essential helicopter’ from the Falklands to
the mountains of Bosnia, the deserts of Iraq
to the badlands of Afghanistan. Its rescue
work around the UK will live long in the
memory. Personnel from the RAF and Royal
Navy’s Sea King squadrons can march off
parade when the last of the helicopters retire,
proud of a job well done.38 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016Above: RAF Sea King HAR3A ZH544 performs a low yby at RMB Chivenor during a media
event marking the type’s retirement from UK SAR duty. Chivenor’s 22 Sqn ‘A’ Flt was the last
RAF SAR unit to stand down. Key-James Ronayne
Below: The sun-kissed mountains of Helmand Province provide a stunning backdrop to this
Sea King HC4 while on an Operation Herrick mission. Crown CopyrightAbove: The Sea King ASaC7 will be the last in UK service, with a scheduled retirement date of- Crown Copyright
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