The Western Australia Police Force Air Wing has unveiled its latest aerial law enforcement tool with the arrival of a Pilatus PC-24 aircraft.
Able to land on short sealed and unsealed runways, the PC-24 business jet will help deploy officers, specialist equipment and emergency supplies to critical incidents across regional and remote WA faster.
The jet is a twin-engine aircraft, the first of its kind for WA Police and the only aircraft of its type operated by an Australian law enforcement agency.
“This Australian-first law enforcement aircraft can fly higher, faster and further than our existing Air Wing aircraft, reducing travel times to some regional locations by up to 50%,” WA Police said in a statement.
Selected for its reliability and ability to land on short sealed and unsealed runways, the PC-24 can access many regional and remote airstrips beyond the reach of conventional jets, allowing personnel and equipment to be deployed directly to locations that are otherwise inaccessible or impractical to reach via commercial air services.
The aircraft can carry up to eight passengers, has a range of approximately 3,700 kilometres, and is also capable of single-pilot operations, providing greater flexibility across a range of operational tasks.
Fitted with a large aft cargo door, the Pilatus PC-24 allows specialist equipment, operational resources, and emergency supplies to be transported quickly and efficiently when required.
“The PC-24 is a genuine game changer for WA Police. Its ability to access remote airstrips across Western Australia, operate with a single pilot and rapidly deploy specialist teams means we can respond faster and more effectively wherever we’re needed,” said WA Police Commissioner, Col Blanch.
“In a State as large and diverse as ours, every minute counts. This aircraft will significantly cut travel times, allowing our officers to spend less time in transit and more time protecting communities, supporting emergency operations, and delivering frontline policing to Western Australians, wherever they may be in the State.”
WA Police Minister, Reece Whitby the Government was committed to ensuring Western Australia is a safe place to live while also boosting emergency response capability.
“Western Australia is the world’s largest single police jurisdiction, and time is critical when it comes to responding to emergencies across the State and I’m so proud to deliver this new aircraft for the community and Police which will be significant for the regions,” he said.
“Slashing travel times to some regional locations by up to 50 per cent will allow our Police Force to deploy officers on the ground faster to ensure any community facing an emergency the protection they deserve.”
Following final commissioning, the aircraft is expected to enter operational service in the coming weeks.
