Skycop, I dont think the Mil Gaz is a SA341 at all, as that is a purely civvy designator.
The Navy's were Gazelle HT 2 - I'm sure someone will come up with a designator for the Crab's and Teeny Weeny Airways' machines, but they certainly aint SA341s. The Astazou in the civil machine is a 3N if I remember correctly, and the Mil machines all used a different mark, hence the difficulty as this mark wwas never civil certified.
By this "logic" the CAA deny ex Mil machines a C of A.
And in complete contradiction of this, they then let Mil personnel take civil 1179s in military machines that are not actually the ones they are licensing you to fly!
The SeaKing is regularly the platform used to provide S61 check rides, and unlike the Gaz marks which are to all intents and purposes identical the SeaKing and S61 are very different aircraft - although for most ppractical purposes they are actually very similar.
Which begs the question; if the CAA can be flexible and practical regarding 1179s on 'similar' types why the heck cant they be flexible and practical with the same types when it comes to certification?
Or do you suppose they are protecting their rights to extort £umpty hundred thousand fees for the certification process?
These concessions have allowed an awful lot of Mil pilots their 1179s on service aircraft for the cost of just a few beers, so dont knock it!