On 25 January 2002 the recognized helicopter operator Norrlandsflyg AB won an exclusive Search and Rescue contract with the Swedish Maritime Administration. This was the first civil SAR contract in Swedish history. The military forces had earlier been operating all aerial SAR units for the Maritime Administration, using Vertol 107s and Super Pumas, but due to economical reasons the armed forces let go of the activities in Visby and Sundsvall.

Norrlandsflyg had a current fleet of four medical S-76s and was it now looking for two new S-76Cs for the SAR. The first rescue helicopter (SE-JUJ) arrived in July 2002, and it was soon placed in Sundsvall (replacing the temporary helicopter D-HOSB). After a short period in Sundsvall the helicopter was transferred to Visby to initiate the new activity there, which was opened on 1 September 2002.

The second helicopter, SE-JUY, was delivered to Sweden in November 2002. It had been constructed back in 1992 and spent its first 10 years in the US. It was transported to Keystone Helicopter Corporation in Pennsylvania, and went through an extensive SAR modification. Upon its arrival to Sweden the helicopter entered service in Sundsvall as Rescue 996 (later Lifeguard 996, but changed to Lifeguard 906).

SE-JUY served the Bothnian Sea for roughly six years before it was replaced by a brand new S-76C++ (SE-JOJ) in early-2009. The aircraft was reassigned the duty as a backup helicopter together with the retired Visby helicopter SE-HAV (both replacing the S-76A++ SE-JUZ). SE-JUY got the new callsign Lifeguard 905.

On 1 November 2011 the Swedish Maritime Administration acquired all the stocks in Norrlandsflyg's parent company Scandinavian Helicopter Invest (SHI). The new helicopter division was named SMA Helicopter Rescue, which became a subsidiary to Sjöfartsverket Holding (administered by the Swedish Maritime Administration). All the SAR helicopters were included in the deal. The purchase also involved the EMS helicopters SE-JUC and SE-JEZ.

SMA Helicopter Rescue was formally incorporated in the Swedish Maritime Administration on 22 January 2014. By this time SE-JUY had been placed as an on-ground backup helicopter in Gothenburg.

Returning to the US SE-JUY was exported to the US in May 2019, 17 years after leaving the US for Sweden. SE-JUY was exported together with the S-76 SE-HAJ.

This page was last modified on 31 May 2019 | click here to edit the page