would agree with your comments. I think there is little long termism in higher command now. It must be able to do it all and yesterday. What happens if NH90 does exactly the same.
Had a few interesting discussions with some RAF officers on telic and in UK and their Impression of merlin was it isn't cougar therefore we shouldn't have procured it. The impression I got was that Merlin HC was doomed from the start as the RAF didn't want it.