Mr. Ingram: The Hercules Integrated Operational Support (HIOS) contract's primary output is to provide Fit For Purpose (FFP) aircraft available to the Front Line Command. To qualify as FFP an aircraft must be reliable, safe and capable of performing the task on a given day.
I know Ingram doesn’t write this stuff, but he sure puts his name to some bloody rubbish doesn’t he?
To an engineer, “Fitness for Purpose” is the definition of quality. In part, this entails ensuring the aircraft meets the whole a/c specification, which includes safety and airworthiness of not just the airframe, but its equipment as well. To meet that criteria it would have to have, inter alia, DAS and ESF when overflying a war zone, would it not? Safety extends beyond the aircraft, to the crew, passengers, ground crew, and the public over which it flies. I cannot reconcile the MoD’s explicit admission that safety is lacking (as they have approved funding for ESF) with this statement. If it’s considered “fit for purpose”, then I suggest the HIOS contract needs updating.