I recall a press release from an MoD/JHC source several years’ ago, saying something along the lines, that the price to sustain the Puma HC2 fleet in-service post 2025 was more than a ‘King’s Ransom’, so I dread to think what the cost to the UK taxpayer will be in its final years of service, until its well overdue OSD arrives.
Yet another example of the UK MoD’s inability to make a procurement selection on time, more so when you note that all three platforms in the run-off are OTS options.