Two AW139 helicopters primarily based from Portland will present personnel switch, logistics, and coaching help from Spring 2026, changing Bristow Helicopters’ Newquay-based Dauphin.
The £41 million contract award to UK firm HeliOperations was introduced on Aug. 8, 2025. 15 new jobs are anticipated to be created via the contract, whereas it can additionally assist to maintain 80 present roles. HeliOperations will use the Leonardo AW139 for the contract – long-tipped as probably the most appropriate successor airframe, no matter operator.
Mark Langrill, Director Air Rotary & Uncrewed Air Programs at Defence Tools and Assist (DE&S), mentioned: “We’re delighted to award this contract to HeliOperations. The settlement will present the Royal Navy with trendy, dependable helicopter help, while supporting expert jobs and financial progress in South-West England, reinforcing our dedication to working with small, high-end British enterprises that ship for our Armed Forces.”
Preliminary working functionality is predicted from Spring 2026 following a transition interval. Ought to built-in contract extensions be exercised, the deal might final till 2036. The official press launch states that the brand new helicopter sort will provide elevated operational capabilities over the present service.
Primarily based in Dorset, UK, on the location of the previous Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Portland, HeliOperations has quickly turn out to be a serious participant in helicopter contracting companies. Utilizing Westland Sea King HU5 helicopters previously operated by 771 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose the corporate has delivered years of search and rescue (SAR) coaching to Sea King crews from the German Navy.
RNAS Culdrose’s Sea King flight simulator was additionally acquired by the corporate, and has been used to help the coaching of German and Norwegian pilots, in addition to pilots finishing programs with the Empire Check Pilots’ College (ETPS).
A handful of the businesses’ airworthy Sea Kings, which stay on the navy register, have been transferred to the Ukrainian Navy starting in 2022, however HeliOperations have been ready to attract upon the massive variety of surplus Sea King airframes within the UK to retain the power of its fleet.
Strengthening the businesses’ function in offering military-focused helicopter companies, HeliOperations will now assume the accountability of supporting Royal Navy operations within the south west area and past from trade big Bristow Helicopters. Bristow inherited the Fleet Helicopter Assist Unit (FHSU) contract from British Worldwide Helicopters (BIH), who had offered two AS365N2 Dauphin helicopters (on the navy register as ZJ164 and ZJ165) for FHSU for a few years.
At current, solely ZJ165 stays energetic with Bristow, flying from a hangar at Newquay Airport in Cornwall. In addition to being a well-known sight supporting personnel and tools transfers for Fleet Operational Sea Coaching (FOST) – previously Flag Officer Sea Coaching – primarily based from Devonport, Plymouth, the Dauphin is usually seen at RNAS Culdrose appearing as a surrogate for navy helicopters over the airfield’s ‘dummy deck’. The dummy deck is an space of arduous standing utilized by the Royal Navy College of Flight Deck Operations (RNSFDO) to approximate the deck of a ship at sea, permitting the Royal Navy to coach its personnel with plane deck dealing with expertise utilizing each retired actual airframes and F-35B replicas.
Till not too long ago, RNSFDO maintained a fleet of operational Sea Harrier airframes for taxi use solely to be able to extra realistically simulate a working deck atmosphere, however these have now been withdrawn from use. Now, the one working plane obtainable to help this deck coaching is the aforementioned Dauphin in addition to the primarily based Merlin HM2 helicopters. Presumably, the brand new AW139s will turn out to be common guests in the identical approach, maybe additionally with an eye fixed in direction of utilizing the helicopters to switch guests to and from the bottom’s Sea King simulator.
Dauphin helicopter operated on behalf of FOST practices deck landings at RNAS Culdrose dummy deck facility pic.twitter.com/wuHZ4qkIXN
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) March 21, 2015
Whereas Portland is farther from a number of the contracts’ main working areas than Newquay, a brand new helipad was opened at HMNB Devonport in 2020 to be used by the FHSU which permits helicopters to basically ahead deploy every day as required. The power features a refueling functionality and removes the necessity for a comparatively prolonged land journey from Devonport to the closest appropriate touchdown website.
Daily operations for FHSU usually see the helicopters transferring passengers between shore and ships within the Plymouth Bay train areas. This consists of each FOST employees in addition to visiting navy and civilian dignitaries. FOST is a world-renowned coaching programme which usually sees abroad naval vessels participate alongside the Royal Navy’s personal ships. The Royal Navy receives remuneration from these abroad forces in return for its companies.
Although operational all through the working week, FOST is especially well-known for its ‘Thursday Warfare’ battle and injury management workout routines. These, and different workout routines, are supported by navy air property in addition to contracted aggressor plane from Draken Europe.
New Hangar
HeliOperations acquired their first AW139 in 2022 to help its SAR coaching actions. Primarily based on renderings launched by the corporate, the agency plans to develop its fleet to not less than three AW139s. Two plane, G-GSAR and G-YSAR, are presently registered to mother or father firm Creating Belongings (UK) Ltd.
To help with working a bigger fleet, HeliOperations broke floor on a model new hangar at Portland in June 2025, together with administration areas and coaching services. Pc renderings depict the hangar with an built-in air site visitors management tower in addition to a contemporary flight simulator.
The brand new constructing is adjoining to the agency’s current hangar, so gives a large enlargement in capability on the small Portland website. A variety of current parking spots, in addition to a secondary landing and liftoff (TLOF) space will likely be withdrawn to accommodate the brand new hangar, however the website’s 755ft helicopter-only runway will stay operational for air site visitors.
Delighted to help our associates from the USAF as they refuelled at our heliport facility yesterday. @HQUSAFEAFAF #HeliOperations pic.twitter.com/ssKPoaBIgl
— HeliOperations (@HeliOperations) August 7, 2020
With its location within the busy south west area, and proximity to coaching services in Portland Harbour and within the wider county of Dorset, the helicopter base receives common visits from navy plane of a number of nationalities for relaxation stops and refueling.
