HARK – Helicopter Aerial Rescue Kit

The most advanced search and rescue aerial deployed life raft system on the market

an air-to-sea rescue system which is manually deployed from rotary winged aircraft

Each kit that is deployed provides a 10 man life raft, with sufficient survival contents to sustain life for 6 – 10 persons for 24 hours.

Features

Up to two kits, with a buoyant connecting rope, can be dropped, allowing refuge for 12 – 20 persons in one deployment pass. The HARK System includes a drogue chute to slow and stabilise the descent to a safe velocity on water impact.  An added feature is the option to disengage the drogue chute for low level drops.

HARK Accuracy of delivery

The accuracy of delivery is enhanced by a proprietary water-activated device which inflates the life-raft upon the kit’s immersion in water and minimises wind drift during descent. The life-rafts are inflated upon water entry by a compressed gas cylinder. A fast-acting, automatically-deployed sea anchor improves raft inflation and stability characteristics.

The life raft is packed in a way to promote a “right way up” attitude during inflation.

HARK is a modified version of ARK

The HARK and ARK units are identical and interchangeable, with compact design that aids in handling, portability and storage. To increase life, the content are vacuum packed.

Survival Equipment Packed Inside of Life raft

Exhausted and possibly injured survivors do not have to spend additional energy trying to pull and lift the equipment into the raft as life saving equipment is packed into the life raft, ensuring quick and easy access.

Customisation of Survival Contents

The survival contents can be specified by the customer in order to suit the environment of use. Typically, items will include blankets, water, first aid kit, flares, radio, etc.

Inflation at Sea Level

After water immersion, inflation of the life raft and deployment of a fast acting sea anchor is automatic. This is a major improvement over systems that inflate life rafts in the air and are prone to being blown out of position.

HARK descends to the water quickly and by the time the life rafts inflate, the sea anchor is already deployed.

Typically systems are deployed within 50 ft of target.

Easy Access

The buoyant, connecting rope guides survivors to the nearest life raft, creating an important lifeline to safety, especially in stormy conditions.

Training System

The Training System replicates the operational system in size, weight and form. The only visual difference is the colour, making it easily recognisable in practice drops to train new personnel and improve accuracy without using a life raft.  This saves on maintenance and re-packing. Maintenance of the training kits is minimal as they only need to be rinsed with fresh water and then placed vertically, to air-dry and to allow the water to drain out.

Technical specifications
HARK Part Number146905
Training System Part Number146906
Life raft separationUp to 250 ft (2 kits)
Rate of descent70 ft/sec
Deployment Speed / AltitudeFrom a hover to 90 kts
@300-500 ft MSL

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