Garda Air Support Unit
| Garda Air Support Unit | |
|---|---|
GASU emblem | |
| Abbreviation | GASU |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | September 1997 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency (Operations jurisdiction) | Ireland |
| Operations jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Legal jurisdiction | Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern, Western and Dublin regions |
| Governing body | Department of Justice |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Casement Aerodrome |
| Parent agency | Garda Síochána |
| Facilities | |
| Vehicles | Britten-Norman Defender Eurocopter EC135 |
The Garda Air Support Unit (or GASU) is a unit of the Garda Síochána which was formed in 1997. The GASU is part of the Operational Support Unit which provides specialist support to Gardaí nationwide. The Operational Support Unit also includes the Water Support, Dog Support and Mounted Support Units.
Between 2007 and 2008, the unit released figures indicating that it had contributed to 1,300 arrests within the preceding three years, and it had located 14 people during search and rescue operations in 2007.