Leidos Australia search-and-rescue crew drop supplies to Antarctica in range trial

In an Australian first, Leidos crew have dropped supplies from a search-and-rescue jet to researchers at Dumont d'Urville station in Antarctica as part of a range extension trial for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). This is the first aerial stores delivery to Antarctica to be conducted by a civil search-and-rescue jet.

Leidos operates highly modified Bombardier Challenger jets to provide AMSA’s fixed wing search-and-rescue capability.

Leidos Airborne Solutions Australia Vice President James Woodhams said the exercise was a special trial to explore the extended range capability of the Challenger search-and-rescue jet.

“We know the Challenger is a sophisticated search-and-rescue response platform. This trial has demonstrated that the aircraft, and our crew on board, can comfortably deliver stores beyond current tasking limits,” Mr Woodhams said.

The trial required a higher degree of planning as it was not a regular tasking. Additional oxygen and survival equipment made it possible for Leidos crew to safely increase their operating range.

Because the team were delivering stores to Antarctica, they also had to be very careful about this delivery due to the Antarctic Treaty Environment Protection Act that protects the Continent against introduction of bio security risks. This meant the dropped capsule contained water supplies only.

“The successful trial reflects the collective efforts of the Government and private sector to continue to evolve the capabilities of aerial assets to better meet the needs of the Government and wider community,” Mr Woodhams said.

“The success of this trial is a credit to the highly capable team who planned, supported, and executed the mission, including collaborating with the team at Dumont d'Urville station. Thank you to everyone who was involved and helped make this happen.”

What are the benefits of extending the range of the Challenger SAR jet?

• Capacity to extend the fixed-wing capability supporting search efforts in Australian and neighbouring waters.
• Increased time searching for and assisting people in distress in the remote corners of Australia’s search and rescue region.
• Capability to deliver emergency supplies to Antarctica and explore further expanding the ice capabilities of the aircraft.