Services
Air Compressors for the UK Defence Sector
In the UK defence sector, compressed air is not just a utility, it is a mission-critical enabler of operational readiness, safety, and availability across land, sea, and air. Search Air provides specialist air compressors for the defence industry, delivering through-life support tailored to the high-stakes requirements of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its prime contractors. You get the reliability, compliance, and readiness you need for mission assurance.
Tailored Solutions for Land, Sea, and Air Operations
On land, sea and air, compressed air is a critical utility with distinct performance and compliance requirements. Expertise in these specific applications is crucial for engineering and maintaining military compressed air systems that deliver consistent, reliable performance.
Royal Air Force (RAF)
Air superiority depends on robust ground infrastructure. At RAF bases, compressed air is vital for:
- Powering high-volume Air Start Units (ASUs) for jet engine starting.
- Powering pneumatic tools, high-torque rivet guns, and lifting equipment in hangars.
- Providing Class 0 oil-free air to cool radar and targeting systems, ensuring flawless coatings without contamination risk.
- Delivering high-purity feed gas for On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS).
- Powering realistic simulators to prepare personnel for combat situations.
Royal Navy
Aboard surface ships and submarines, compressed air is one of the most critical systems for operation and survival.
- Operating High-Pressure Air Systems (HPAC) up to 414 barg (6000 psi) for blowing submarine ballast tanks, starting main propulsion engines, and charging torpedo launch systems.
- Delivering high-purity breathing air for special forces diving operations and filling Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) cylinders for damage control teams.
- Supporting dockside operations with large-scale installations for recharging submarine air banks and diving support.
- Ensuring systems meet stringent military standards for low acoustic signature and extreme resistance to shock and vibration.
British Army
For land forces, compressed air capability must be mobile, rugged, and reliable enough for austere field conditions.
- Powering REME field workshops with mobile diesel compressors for everything from Land Rovers to Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks.
- Powering bespoke systems, such as the Portable Tyre Repair Facility (PTRF) and track maintenance kits.
- Powering deployable infrastructure, including inflating large military tents and shelters, with some units featuring integrated vacuum pumps for rapid deflation.
- Delivering cooling for electronic systems in command vehicles and in Army training centres for battlefield simulation systems.
The Right Air System for Every Defence Mission
We provide military-grade air compressor systems that meet the highest standards of oil-free purity, resilience, and uptime. Effective system design is supported by advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance via remote monitoring and optimisation using SMARTLINK and Optimiser 4.0.
- ZR/ZT – Oil-Free Rotary Screw: Delivers ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certified oil-free air, eliminating contamination risk. Ideal for sensitive applications like avionics, electronics manufacturing, and paint finishing.
- ZH – Centrifugal Compressors: Engineered for high-volume, continuous flow. The perfect solution for providing base-load air to large naval bases, shipyards, and centralised manufacturing plants.
- GA VSD+ – Oil-Injected Rotary Screw: The benchmark for energy efficiency in utility and tool air applications. Variable Speed Drive technology can reduce energy consumption by 20–50%, resulting in lower operational costs.
XATS/XAVS – Diesel Portables
Portable, rugged, Stage V-compliant compressors which are field ready and ready to run.
Desiccant & Refrigerant Dryers
Achieve dew points of between -40°C and -70°C with refrigerant or desiccant dryers, to ensure the right level of dry air is provided to protect humidity-sensitive processes and equipment.
NGP Nitrogen Generators
On-Site Nitrogen and Oxygen Generation, which provides a source of nitrogen to reduce logistics dependencies for fuel tank inerting, tyre inflation, and fire suppression.
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XATS/XAVS – Diesel Portables
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Desiccant & Refrigerant Dryers
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NGP Nitrogen Generators
Stay Compliant. Avoid Mission Disruption.
Engaging with the defence sector requires a deep, auditable commitment to mandatory standards. Failure to comply creates unacceptable operational and legal risks. We provide turnkey systems and maintenance plans with MOD-compliant air compressors that ensure adherence to all relevant UK regulations.
| Compliance Requirement | Standard(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure Systems | PSSR 2000 | Requires inspection of all relevant pressure vessels by a competent person, in accordance with a Written Scheme of Examination (WSE). Required under UK Health & Safety legislation. |
| Breathing Air | BS EN 12021, Def Stan 68-284 | Mandates stringent purity limits and quarterly quality testing for air used by pilots, divers, and in SCBA systems. |
| Air Purity | ISO 8573-1:2010 | Defines the purity classes for compressed air regarding particles, water, and oil. Class 0 is the highest standard. |
| Site Entry | Security Check (SC) | Required for engineers and technicians to gain unsupervised access to MOD bases and other secure establishments. |
| IT Security | Cyber Essentials Plus | A mandatory cybersecurity certification is required for bidding on most contracts via the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP). |
| Hazardous Sites | ATEX / IECEx | Certification is required for any equipment, including compressors, used in potentially explosive atmospheres, such as fuel bays or munitions stores. |
Search Air’s security-cleared engineers (SC) and active certification roadmap (including Cyber Essentials Plus) position it as a compliant, low-risk subcontractor for both the MOD and its prime contractors.
Defence-Ready, Compliant, and Always On Call
Choosing a supplier is about mitigating risk and procuring guaranteed capability. Our strategic advantages are built around the core needs of the UK defence sector.
- CLS Alignment: We provide Through-Life Capability Support contracts designed to ensure maximum availability and predictable costs over the 20- to 35-year lifecycles of core defence assets.
- Multi-Brand Servicing: While we are an Atlas Copco Premier Distributor, our expertise covers all major brands, including Ingersoll Rand, Kaeser, CompAir, and Gardner Denver, ensuring comprehensive support for entire legacy estates.
- Rapid Response in the “Defence Heartland”: Our depots in Leeds, Sheffield, and Nottingham are strategically located to provide 2-4 hour emergency callouts to key sites like RAF Waddington, Catterick Garrison, RAF Coningsby, and MOD Donnington.
- High-Value Services: We focus on Preventing Air Compressor Downtime and improving efficiency through services like our Comprehensive Air System Audit, heat recovery retrofits, and leak detection surveys. We are specialists in providing certified quarterly breathing air audits in accordance with BS EN 12021 and Def Stan 68-284, supported by calibrated test equipment and comprehensive documentation for MOD compliance records.
Partner with Search Air to ensure you have the technical expertise, auditable compliance, and strategic support needed for mission-critical compressed air systems.
In defence, unplanned downtime, compliance gaps, and procurement delays are unacceptable risks. We help eliminate these risks before they compromise mission readiness.
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