PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - The future of UK SAR, post SAR-H
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Old 28th Jan 2013, 16:16
  #958 (permalink)  
jimf671
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Inverness-shire, Ross-shire
Posts: 1,452
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... why spend billions of taxpayers pounds on something that is not as capable as it should be?
Well, first of all there is "The Abbey Wood effect". The other AW.
I defined this elsewhere with the following example: "infantry clothing and equipment is purchased by people who haven't been out in the rain for over a decade."

Best know for the effect on defence procurement but the MoD is not the only department at AW and the same effect exists elsewhere and in other departments.

Secondly, when we look at the alternatives, they tend to be unworkable.
- All S-92 fleet: too expensive, otherwise it would be offered and nobody thinks that has happened.
- NH90 with High Cabin Variant: only joking!
- MI-17: ... NEXT!
- S-61T: no, because AW will tell HM Gov they can do it better, which they can't.
- EC175: smaller than 189 and bidders appear to have examined and rejected it.
- Bell 525: too late, too unproven.

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Better order 5 x AW189 then, plus between 2 and 4 spare aircraft depending upon how confident you are in a new design.
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