Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit

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The Air Support Unit (ASU) provides aerial reconnaissance and other air support operations for the Metropolitan Police Service over London and its suburbs.

Now part of Central Operations, the unit is based at Lippitts Hill, Loughton and is staffed by 18 Police Constables and 3 Police Sergeants with a Police Inspector as the supervisor. The unit also employs other members of staff including Pilots, Operations Room Staff, Engineers and an Intelligence Officer. The senior management are based at Wapping police station.

On 4 July 2007 the base took delivery of three new Eurocopter EC 145s costing a total of £15 million.^{[citation needed]}

Each aircraft is crewed by a pilot with two officers acting as Observers and averages over 260 flying hours per month.