VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has secured its first orders for VIKING Pentagon Star – a new mass rescue device designed to enable rapid recovery of large numbers of people from the water. Initially developed as a response to a tender from a major coast guard, the device is now being formally introduced to the market following additional orders from coastal airports in Scandinavia.

Intended for governments and professional users in defence, search and rescue, and civil aviation, Pentagon Star addresses low probability, high consequence scenarios, such as aircrafts ditching, passenger vessel incidents or other maritime emergencies where a large number of people are in the water. Designed for swift deployment from rotary and fixed-wing aircraft as well as rescue vessels, the device inflates immediately to form a stable floating platform capable of accommodating up to 100 persons via 10 access points.

“Where conventional open reversible life rafts have two points of entry, Pentagon Star features a dual-layer pentagonal design which creates 10 access points at sea level,” said Lasse Boesen, Senior Sales Manager Defence & Professional, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment. “The Pentagon Star is all about getting people out of the water. Evacuees can board the large platform surface from all sides, which reduces boarding congestion and time in the water, while also facilitating more efficient SAR operations and subsequent evacuation. It is not hard to see how impactful this will be for people in distress in the water.”

The device combines high capacity with a lightweight and compact design. While conventional mass evacuation systems compliant with SOLAS typically weigh around 330 kg, Pentagon Star weighs approximately 60 kg due to its optimised structure and materials. When inflated, it measures 738 cm by 696 cm with a height of 68 cm (291 in × 274 in × 27 in), and packs into a compact valise roughly the size of a large suitcase, allowing it to be easily handled and deployed by a single operator from helicopters, aircraft or rescue vessels.

Boesen emphasised that VIKING Pentagon Star has not been designed with SOLAS or other international legislation in mind. The solution is intended to complement existing life-saving equipment by providing an immediate response capability in situations where rapid intervention is critical. Its configuration supports the prompt removal of individuals from the water, enabling stabilisation prior to onward recovery using conventional rescue assets.

VIKING Pentagon Star won its initial tender following open water testing using a helicopter with the coast guard. VIKING has since secured its first commercial contract from a Scandinavian airport, with several other airports following suit. It has also offered demonstrations to European navies, said Boesen, adding that further testing was ongoing to verify launch from fixed wing aircraft for remote deployment.