GREATER Manchester Police have unveiled a fixed-wing plane in addition to the force's state-of-the-art helicopter in the fight against crime.

The BN2T-4S Defender 4000 will be bought from Isle of Wight manufacturers Britten Norman, and features state-of-the-art equipment, including daylight and thermal cameras, digital radio system and 'Moving Map' technology, which can identify a location down to the name of a business.

It is the first police aircraft in the UK to be able to send and receive images in flight to other aircraft, and with a live video link, the plane is equipped to increase GMP's use of video evidence in court.

The B-N Defender 4000 is powered by turbine engines which significantly reduce noise to a lower level than the new helicopter, which is 40 per cent quieter than the previous model.

The plane has a flight endurance of more than five hours, and is suited to pre-planned operations and patrolling. It is on schedule to be operational for the Commonwealth Games.

One of the central provisions of air support is in relation to searches (e.g. offender, missing from home and vehicle) where 20 minutes airtime is equivalent to 450 officers on the ground. With the involvement and development of the Air Support Unit, GMP is able to put more officers back on the beat.

ACC Med Hughes (Uniform Operations Department) said: "On its own, the helicopter is not able to meet policing demands. The aeroplane will improve the support available for ground patrols and help return officers to their duties by reducing time searching or on containment.

"A police aircraft sends a robust message to offenders that they will be caught. We know from experience that we are able to deter and detect criminals and provide reassurance to the public that we are watching over them."