Air Rescue Systems Announces Leadership Transition as Demand for Modernized Rescue Training Accelerates
enver, CO — January 6, 2026 — Air Rescue Systems (ARS), a Vita Inclinata company providing advanced technology, comprehensive helicopter rescue training, and field-proven equipment, today announced a leadership transition that reflects the organization’s continued growth and expanded technology integration amid evolving demands for modern rescue operations.
Mike Martin will continue as Vice President of Training and assume expanded leadership responsibility across ARS training operations. This transition follows Bob Cockell’s departure from Air Rescue Systems.
Martin’s expanded role reflects how ARS delivers training today, through experienced instructor teams, mission-specific program design, and close coordination with operators. His leadership supports continuity for agencies training for complex, high-risk rescue missions while enabling ARS to scale its programs and technology integration.
“As rescue missions become more complex, training has to evolve beyond repetition and checklists,” said Martin. “We design each training to ensure crews understand why techniques work, how technology affects decision-making, and how to apply both under real operational pressure.”
Experience-Driven, Mission-Specific Training
ARS training is delivered by subject matter experts with more than 125 years of combined experience across the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Special Operations, high-altitude mountain rescue, and other elite rescue organizations.
Programs are tailored to each agency’s mission profile, terrain, and operational constraints. Instruction emphasizes the physics of load control under a helicopter, including specialized flight profiles and techniques designed to manage movement during human external cargo (HEC) operations.
This approach allows crews to train for the conditions they are most likely to encounter rather than relying on generalized scenarios.
Integrating Technology into Real-World Training
As ARS continues to expand training programs, it will incorporate additional training for the Vita™ Rescue System® (VRS), which is already being fielded by the U.S. military and National Guard units.
By integrating VRS into training, crews gain practical experience that combines established load-control techniques with active stabilization technology, improving precision while keeping personnel farther from hazard zones.
“Technology only improves outcomes when crews understand both its limits and its advantages,” Martin added. “Training has to account for how systems behave in dynamic environments, not just how they perform in controlled conditions or simulations.”
Leadership Continuity
During his tenure, Cockell helped strengthen ARS’s reputation for practical, scenario-driven training and built trusted relationships across military, public safety, and civilian rescue communities. His leadership laid the foundation for ARS’s current training model and its integration into Vita Inclinata.
With Martin at the helm and ARS fully integrated into Vita Inclinata, the company will continue to deliver instructor-led, mission-focused training while advancing the incorporation of emerging technologies into modern rescue operations.
For more information, please visit www.airrescuesystems.com.
About Air Rescue Systems
Air Rescue Systems, a Vita Inclinata company, provides advanced technology, comprehensive helicopter rescue training, and field-proven equipment. The company’s ecosystem of solutions significantly enhances the capability, safety, and efficiency of search-and-rescue hoist operations, helping protect the mission. Based on real-world knowledge and experience, the Air Rescue Systems team utilizes new techniques, progressive training concepts, and innovative equipment to accomplish operational goals.
About Vita Inclinata
Vita Inclinata is pioneering safety, efficiency, and innovation within the industrial and aerospace sectors. Through advanced technology and comprehensive solutions, we are setting new global benchmarks by revolutionizing operational standards. Our intelligent lifting solutions provide unmatched precision and control, enhancing the safety and capability of Search and Rescue hoist operations and industrial lifting.
Through our comprehensive safety ecosystem, we deliver life-saving solutions to customers, and we enrich proven products with unparalleled safety, efficiency, and performance while upholding their celebrated standards of quality, support, and service. Visit www.vitatech.co.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Lyssa Surface
Public Information Officer
lsurface@vitatech.co
