As a prime-contractor of the Criminal Investigation Department of the German Federal State Northrhine-Westphalia (LKA NRW), ESG is in charge of the modification of two BK117 B-2 police helicopters as night vision compatible alarm helicopters. The first upgraded helicopter was delivered today in Düsseldorf. The second is to be delivered at the end of July 2003.

The police helicopters will have one of the most advanced and most integrated law enforcement mission equipment world-wide. It comprises a mission tactical operator console with a direction finder and a downlink transmitter as well as an imaging system with an externally mounted FLIR/TV camera and a high performance searchlight. This week the first modified helicopter received the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority airworthiness approval note. The German airworthiness certificate is expected mid 2003.

In this programme it is ESG’s responsibility to manage the modification programme and to guide and to support participating sub-contractors and equipment providers. ESG also established the redundant system concept and specified the systems and its interfaces including the man-machine-interface. In addition ESG wrote the operations handbook and the maintenance handbook supplement and supported the certification process. Beyond that ESG is responsible for the details of the wiring logic, for the procurement of the required equipment and for planning and conducting the overall system tests.

The U.K. Mann Aviation Group (Engineering) Ltd., located in Fairoaks near London, is ESG’s sub-contractor and partner in this programme. Mann Aviation designs and manufactures the operator consoles and the equipment racks. They draw up the wiring schematics, manufacture the cables and integrate all the equipment into the helicopters. Finally Mann Aviation is in charge of modifying the cockpits as night vision compatible cockpits as well as beeing in charge of the airworthiness compliance documentation and the certification test flights.

As a competent partner of other national and international Police Air Support Units, ESG is now well positioned in the market. With over forty years experience ESG plans, designs, develops and integrates customer orientated avionics and guidance information systems. ESG also conducts avionics upgrade programmes for civil and military helicopters and aircraft. ESG manufactures complex cockpit simulators and avionic test rigs. Apart from the Military ESG is a contractor of the Hamburg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Northrhine-Westphalia Police Air Support Units as well as the G.D. de Luxembourg in the area of helicopter avionics.