Enhanced Flight Safety for Slovenian Cops

EADS Defence & Security will equip the Slovenian police force’s helicopter squadron with the globally unique HELLAS (Helicopter Laser Radar) obstacle warning system, which enables helicopter missions to be carried out even when visibility is extremely poor. The firm has been awarded a contract for a HELLAS system to be delivered before the end of this year, for integration into a Bell 412 helicopter. HELLAS enables pilots to detect and avoid the smallest of obstacles, even when visibility is bad, thus offering crucial protection against one of the main causes of helicopter accidents. The system scans the airspace ahead of the helicopter using a laser beam that poses no danger to the human eye. It detects even extremely thin wires with a high accuracy from distances of up to 1,000 meters. On the HELLAS display, the pilot sees a grey-scale, in-depth image of the landscape in front of the helicopter. Potential obstacles are displayed in a reddish color so that the helicopter crew can identify them in good time to take appropriate evasive maneuvers.