Glamox recently celebrated the first-ever night landing of a foreign partner helicopter on a UK Royal Navy Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessel. The landing of a US Coast Guard helicopter on HMS Trent was made possible by the Glamox Helicopter Visual Landing Aid System (HVLAS), installed last year to enhance HMS Trent’s ability to land helicopters in rough seas and at night from the UK and partner nations.

The landing of a US Coast Guard helicopter took place off the coast of Miami, Florida, providing valuable aviation training for day and night landings. This enhanced operational flexibility is important, particularly for disaster relief and aid operations in regions such as the Caribbean.

“It was a significant moment, demonstrating that our Helicopter Visual Landing Aid System works well with helicopters of coalition forces on unfamiliar flightdecks,” said Lou Lewis, a Business Development Manager at Glamox’s Defence and Security business in the UK. “We were contracted to supply systems for two Royal Navy vessels, HMS Trent and HMS Spey, and aspire to enhance the aviation capabilities of the remaining Royal Navy Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels.”

COMPLETE FLIGHT DECK LED LIGHTING SYSTEM
The Glamox HVLAS is a complete flight deck LED lighting system that provides pilots with visual cues and information during approach and landing. It includes a stabilised horizon bar that indicates the horizon's position, regardless of the vessel's roll and pitch. Also, a glide path indicator helps pilots judge approach angles by using a three-colour light beam to show the correct path or whether the helicopter is too high or too low. Additional deck-edge lighting and focused LED beam lines provide precise positional cues for pilots operating in low-visibility conditions or using night vision goggles. Glamox also supplied both vessels with military-grade Night Vision Imaging System navigation lights.

The HVLAS was installed on HMS Trent in 2025 by Glamox’s customer du Pré Marine. Glamox also worked closely with the Defence Equipment & Support Organisation within the UK’s Ministry of Defence and with the vessel’s through-life support contractor, UK Docks Marine Services.