Sunday Independent 24/04/05
By Don Lavery
The Gardai are to get a new helicopter to patrol the skies fitted with the latest thermal image cameras and surveillance equipment.
The aviation giant EADS, the third largest aerospace group in the world, through it's Franco-German subsidiary Eurocopter is to supply the new €3.7m chopper.
The helicoper, the newest version of the light EC-135 in use by many police forces and air ambulance services around the world, will be the fourth aircraft to be operated by the Garda Air Support Unit.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice confirmed yesterday that the new chopper will replace the original Garda helicopter - a Eurocopter Squirrel.
It was bought in 1997 at a cost of €3.1m along with a Defender fixed-wing plane at €3.5m and they were followed by an EC-135 T1 in 2001.
The latest aircraft, an Ec-135 T2, will be fitted for the policing role by McAlpine Aviation in the UK and a tender for the helicopter is expected to be issued soon.
It is likely to be equipped with a gyro-stabilised pod giving real time video by day or night.
The Garda aircraft are flown by Irish Air Corp pilots on behalf of the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform.
Meanwhile, Eurocpter is also to supply two EC-135's to the Air Corp before the end of the year for use in the training role as part of a €60m helicopter re-equipment programme.
