Air Support Unit

The mission of the Air Support Unit is to enhance statewide public safety by providing effective aerial support to the Louisiana State Police and other Louisiana law enforcement agencies. It is the intention of the Unit to provide air support to all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies upon request.

The Air Support Unit currently has ten pilots who are available to respond to police emergencies twenty-four hours a day.

All Louisiana State Police Pilots are commissioned State Troopers with full arrest powers and extensive road experience. They are required to be dual rated, that is, licensed by the FAA to operate both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

The Air Support Unit’s aircraft inventory includes 4 airplanes and seven helicopters. These aircraft are configured for Night Vision Goggle (NVG) operations and are equipped with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera and a Night Sun searchlight.

Missions performed by the Air Support Unit include Protective Services Support, helicopter demonstrations, disaster relief, criminal surveillance, photo flights and reconnaissance, marijuana eradication, manhunts, speed enforcement, SWAT operations, downed aircraft searches, missing person searches and emergency police response.

The Air Support Unit has always been an enthusiastic supporter of educational programs that seek to teach schoolchildren about public safety. Through such programs, the Air Support Unit has done a great deal to promote the public profile of the Louisiana State Police.

The Air Support Unit is especially proud of its recent opening of an office in Ruston, Louisiana. The Louisiana State Police has not had aviation assets stationed in the northern portion of the State since 1985. This regional-based concept will provide direct air support to the citizens of Louisiana by reducing response time and decreasing pilot fatigue. This accomplishment has dramatically improved safety while increasing mission capability.