Well since you choose to ask me to reply directly let me answer a few of your questions since my origins, training and feelings on Merlin are well known.
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Can anyone tell me, how many years the Merlin has NOT been able to dip in the dark?
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The Merlin's ability to dip in the dark was cleared after a detailed set of test and evaluation conducted by a team I was a member of at a well known test establishment. We were uprepared to allow the aircraft to dip at night without the duplex system being tested and its software proven to 'current' safety standards. The Sea King 5/6 would not pass this sort of testing under current regulations (that includes JAR). When we had done the testing the aircraft was cleared (in late 2002).
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How much has the Fleet Air Arm rotary wing training pipeline been 'delayed' due to the reliability of the Merlin?
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The delays in the flying training pipepline are not all due to Merlin and in fact the Lynx pipeline has not been free of its own problems. Whilst it is disappointing that more ab intios have not gone through the course the current set who received their wings about 3 weeks ago are not the first.
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How much does a 'Merlin' Mk4 replacement cost?
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I don't know. The fact is the Sea King will go along with the Puma and are now all wrapped up in one program. I have no money on who will get this contract. The fact is the Danish and Portuguese aircraft are another generation ahead of the RAF/RN ones and were competed on an even basis against both the NH90 and S92.
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For a few minutes, forget the advantages of the avionics (in the Merlin), my concerns over the Merlin are orientated around the bloody cost of the airframe. Just for a few seconds (put your hand on your heart / swear on your kiddies lives!)
Ask yourself this:
Has the cost / R and D / spares availability of this replacement airframe really been worth it (to date).
What could the 3 services have procured for that same sum of money if they had gone about it on a more practical basis [I.e. consulted with the end user?].
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------These two questions are the inponderables. Should we have bought SH60s way back when or stayed in the NH90 project (over 800 aircraft ordered) probably. Unfortunately we did not and that was the previous Conservative governments decision. All I know is we have the Merlin now, it is one of the best aircraft in the world and as a small country with moderate Armed Forces we CANNOT afford to change. Things may change in the future and we may develop along the Dutch 'buy it off the shelf' model. I doubt this though because too many voters would lose their jobs and political suicide is never popular.
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Someone out there has got his promotion out of this and is currently sniggering into his brandy, as we speak.
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Nobody here got promoted, or in the IPT, in fact I think most of the people involved were passed over or left. In fact both the guys who were key in the project PVR'd even before it was frontline.
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Now that Merlin has been jettisoned by N America and (in all due defference to the
PR team for the 'VH101' lobby in yankee land) will undoubtedly be ejected by Bush.....who is going to buy this overengineered trojan's horse??????
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Well the Danes, Potuguese and Japanese did.
In the end we are where we are and in these days of tight budgets (which will only get tighter) we must strive to work together to get the best from the FAA. TEAMWORK is the key, not slagging off the other guy. As was proven in Telic the Merlin Lynx combo worked well and was commented upon by the good old USA.
Unfortunately the Sea King is a legacy aircraft now nearly 50 years old. Ours are cracking away gracefully and no-one makes them anymore. I have 1500 hours on the old queen but I still wouldn't go back because while you're seldom safe twin in a Merlin you can ALWAYS fly away from an ASW hover.