A 10-year £1.6 billion contract to supply search and rescue services has been awarded to U.S. firm, the Bristow Group.

The move to the privatisation of search and rescue services, away from services currently carried out by the MoD, is expected to generate significant savings alongside increased coverage.

Services will be provided from two Welsh bases, located at Caernarfon and MoD St Athan. The new service with greater coverage is expected to improve flight times to incidents by 20 percent.

The Bristow Group is not a newcomer to the U.K., having already rescued 7,000 people in operations throughout the country. It currently provides services in Netherlands, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, Russia, Brazil and Canada.

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