by pna
The Philippine Coast Guard is planning to acquire five to seven brand-new helicopters to boost its search-and-rescue (SAR) capability.
Vice Admiral Edmund Tan, PCG commandant, said that this is part of their efforts to modernize the maritime agency's equipment.
He declined to give the exact time frame for the acquisition of the new helicopters but stressed that studies are now underway to determine the most capable and cost efficient air platform for the PCG.
Observers said that the helicopters that might fit the PCG's SAR requirement might be European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Company (EADS)'s Eurocopter 145.
The Eurocopter 145 is a twin-engine aircraft and can carry up to nine passengers along with two crew, depending on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for passenger transport, corporate transport, emergency medical services, search and rescue, parapublic and utility roles.
It has top speed of 167 miles per hour (equivalent to 268 kilometers) and has a payload of 3,953 pounds (1,793 kilograms).
The PCG earlier said that the flight deck capacity of the country's SAR vessels will determine what specific airframe will be acquired.
"The flight decks of our four SAR vessels are only capable of supporting light- to medium-sized helicopters which are capable of carrying from four to eight people, aside from its rescue equipment," the agency said in a statement.
The PCG currently has four SAR vessels in its fleet.
These are the BRP San Juan (SAR-001), BRP EDSA DOS II (SAR-002), BRP Pampanga (SAR-003), and BRP Batangas (SAR-004).
The ship, weighing around 275 deadweight tons, is 56 meters long and 10.55 meters wide, and equipped with two Caterpillar diesel engines, giving it a maximum speed of 26 knots.
It has a complement of 13 officers and 24 rating and is capable of transporting 300 persons during an emergency.
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