UN orders HEMS-Star portable helipad lights for Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission

FEC Heliports Worldwide Ltd has announced that its HEMS-Star portable LED helipad lighting system has been purchased by the United Nations for the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established by the Security Council in April 2013 to support political processes in that country and carry out a number of security-related tasks. The mission focuses on duties, such as ensuring security, stabilization and protection of civilians; supporting national political dialogue and reconciliation; assisting the re-establishment of state authority, the rebuilding of the security sector, and the promotion and protection of human rights in that country.

The United Nations operates in some of the most extreme and remote regions on the planet and currently the MINUSMA mission has a total 15,209 uniformed personnel, both military and police from 121 countries operating in Mali.

The UN are operating over vast areas and rough terrain, day and night, so helicopters are often the only safe means of transporting personnel and resupplying UN personnel on the ground.

HEMS-Star is a rechargeable portable battery powered LED lighting system designed for rapid deployment to provide safe and effective marking at designated or ad-hoc landing areas.

Some features include:

• Wireless enabled for remote or pilot VHF activation;

• NVG compatible red, blue, green, white visible LEDs and infra-red and is programmable to show steady-on, flash warning, location beacon or Morse Code;

• Optional automatic sunset switching;

• Full case weighs only 10.6 kilograms; and

• Rechargeable in its case via mains at 100-240V AC, vehicles at 13.5-28VDC, solar or wind power and is IP65 rated.

FEC Heliports portable lighting systems have been deployed on a global scale in the United Kingdom, U.S., Russia, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and Japan.

HEMS-Star has been successfully tested for stability at the Sikorsky Development Flight Centre under the rotor wash of a CH-147 Chinook.

HEMS-Star has Federal Communications Commission certification for operation in the U.S. and CE certification for the European Union. Both certifications are generally accepted worldwide.

“We are delighted to supply the HEMS-Star portable helipad lighting system to the United Nations to help them to operate safely in their stabilization mission in Mali,” said Fraser MacKay, commercial director at FEC Heliports Worldwide.