ARCC
Encyclopedia
The United Kingdom
's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is based at RAF Kinloss
, near Forres in Moray.
, Royal Navy
and Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Search and Rescue
(SAR) helicopters, and also the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service. It monitors rescues in the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Region
(UK SRR), which extends to 30 degrees west in longitude, and from 45 to 61 degrees north latitude (as far north as just south of the Danish Faroe Islands
), excluding the Republic of Ireland
(Ireland SRR
).
RAF Sea King helicopters can operate up to 250 miles from their base, with an endurance of six hours; for those in the Fleet Air Arm, this is reduced to 4 hours and 200 miles.
Kinloss has no helicopter squadrons, but three Nimrod squadrons. However it controls rescue helicopter at:
began in 1941, mainly rescuing aircrew from ditched aircraft. In 1997, the two control centres in Plymouth
and Edinburgh
were combined into one site at RAF Kinloss.
-based Rescue Coordination System (RCS), the coordinators task helicopters following requests from the emergency services. With an area of responsibility spanning almost 1 million square miles, the ARCC deals with incidents across the whole of the UK out to half way across the North Atlantic
.
During recent years the ARCC has assisted with rescues during the Sheffield floods, the Grayrigg Rail Crash
and the Boscastle floods, and deals with over 2000 incidents each year.
Mission Control Centre (UKMCC). This is the centre that detects emergency beacons within the UK Search and Rescue Region (SRR) using an advanced computer system. Maritime distress beacon information is passed to the Coastguard authorities but terrestrial alerts are investigated by the UKMCC, often requiring the use of SAR helicopters to pinpoint the beacon's position.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is based at RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
, near Forres in Moray.
Structure
The centre is responsible for coordinating all RAFRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
Search and Rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) helicopters, and also the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service. It monitors rescues in the United Kingdom Search and Rescue Region
Her Majesty's Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...
(UK SRR), which extends to 30 degrees west in longitude, and from 45 to 61 degrees north latitude (as far north as just south of the Danish Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
), excluding the Republic of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(Ireland SRR
Irish Coast Guard
The Irish Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transport. The Irish Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of the Republic of Ireland and parts of Northern Ireland is the area over which the coast guard has authority. This area is bounded by the UK Search and Rescue Region...
).
RAF Sea King helicopters can operate up to 250 miles from their base, with an endurance of six hours; for those in the Fleet Air Arm, this is reduced to 4 hours and 200 miles.
Kinloss has no helicopter squadrons, but three Nimrod squadrons. However it controls rescue helicopter at:
RAF
- RM ChivenorRoyal Marines Base ChivenorRoyal Marines Base Chivenor is a British military base used primarily by the Royal Marines. It is situated on the northern shore of the Taw estuary, adjacent to the South West Coast Path, on the north coast of Devon, England....
, just east of BarnstapleBarnstapleBarnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
in DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with... - RAF Wattisham Airfield, just south of StowmarketStowmarket-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...
in SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east... - RAF ValleyRAF ValleyRAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
, about six miles east of HolyheadHolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
in AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales... - RAF BoulmerRAF BoulmerRAF Boulmer is a Royal Air Force station near Alnwick in Northumberland and is currently home to Aerospace Surveillance and Control System Force Command, Control and Reporting Centre Boulmer, the School of Aerospace Battle Management, No...
, about three miles east of AlnwickAlnwickAlnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
, on the NorthumberlandNorthumberlandNorthumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
coast - RAF LossiemouthRAF LossiemouthRAF Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force station to the west of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. It is one of the RAF's biggest bases and is currently Britain's main base for Tornado GR4s. From 2013 the Northern QRA force of Typhoon F2 will relocate to Lossiemouth following the closure of...
, about seven miles east of KinlossKinlossKinloss is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located near the shore of Findhorn Bay, around 3 miles from Findhorn and 2.5 miles from Forres. RAF Kinloss is located northeast of the village, and is transitioning to an Army barracks.The Cistercian Kinloss Abbey was created in 1150 by King David...
, just north of Elgin, MorayElgin, MorayElgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
. - RAF LeconfieldRAF LeconfieldThe former RAF Leconfield, or 'Leconfield Camp' was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield , East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield .-History:...
, just north of BeverleyBeverleyBeverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
in the East Riding of YorkshireEast Riding of YorkshireThe East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
Fleet Air Arm
- RNAS Culdrose, just south of HelstonHelstonHelston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and nine miles southwest of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town in the UK and is around further south than...
on the A3083 in southern CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of... - RNAS PrestwickHMS Gannet SAR FlightHMS Gannet SAR Flight is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron based at RNAS Prestwick in Scotland. It operates three Sea King Mk5 helicopters in the military and civilian Search and Rescue role across Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland...
on part of Glasgow Prestwick Airport in South AyrshireSouth AyrshireSouth Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
- this covers Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
as well as the Lake DistrictLake DistrictThe Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
History
The RAF Search and Rescue ForceRAF Search and Rescue Force
The RAF Search and Rescue Force is the Royal Air Force organisation which provides around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.-History:...
began in 1941, mainly rescuing aircrew from ditched aircraft. In 1997, the two control centres in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
were combined into one site at RAF Kinloss.
Preparedness
Military and Coastguard helicopters are on standby 24 hours a day to assist those in difficulty, both at sea and over land. Helicopter crews are at 15 minutes notice during the day, reducing to 45 minutes at night.Control centre
The control centre is manned by military staff, supplemented by civilian MOD employees who operated the long-range HF communication equipment. Using an IBMIBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
-based Rescue Coordination System (RCS), the coordinators task helicopters following requests from the emergency services. With an area of responsibility spanning almost 1 million square miles, the ARCC deals with incidents across the whole of the UK out to half way across the North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Personnel
ARCC coordinating staff come from a variety of backgrounds, including SAR helicopters, RAF Nimrod patrol aircraft, and Mountain Rescue, and work very closely with the Coastguard, Police, Ambulance Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services.Incidents
Grayrigg derailment
The Grayrigg derailment was a fatal railway accident that occurred at approximately 20:15 GMT on 23 February 2007, just to the south of Grayrigg, Cumbria, in North West England. The initial conclusion of the accident investigation is that the derailment was caused by a faulty set of points ,...
and the Boscastle floods, and deals with over 2000 incidents each year.
UK Mission Control Centre
The ARCC is also home to the UK Cospas-SarsatCospas-Sarsat
Cospas-Sarsat is an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system, established by Canada, France, the United States, and the former Soviet Union in 1979. It is best known as the system that detects and locates emergency beacons...
Mission Control Centre (UKMCC). This is the centre that detects emergency beacons within the UK Search and Rescue Region (SRR) using an advanced computer system. Maritime distress beacon information is passed to the Coastguard authorities but terrestrial alerts are investigated by the UKMCC, often requiring the use of SAR helicopters to pinpoint the beacon's position.