Mr C Hinecap has it right. Too many civvies in Procurement with no idea of our requirements. The contracts that the MOD signs up to all to often, mean that in the long run we the customer get ripped off. Too many civvie's are involved with first line maintenance and repair of equipment whilst our techs and mechanics are not allowed to perform such tasks. We need more military personnel involved with drawing up the contracts so that we can make best use of our kit. The MOD is a big business and surely it can fight for better deals. That would save money, cutbacks are not the way forward.