“And do we need A400m why not just get more C17”
It’s been mentioned on another thread that the lack of heavy lift has been recognised, but that the “solution”, enshrined in various URDs e.g. FRES, is to place an unhealthily large reliance on the US heavy fleet. A convenient solution, which relegates us to the equivalent of their National Guard in the eyes of the US.
As to the question in hand, I can’t imagine where the Merlin figures came from, or that they are remotely accurate. They almost certainly don’t take into account the avionics were largely designed and ready in the mid-late 80s, but the overall programme slipped some years. That meant “Merlin” kit which was ready for an early ISD had to be routinely updated, especially sensors; but there was no “real” platform to trial the updates on. For example, sonics technology on SK6 was romping away from that destined for Merlin. So, other aircraft and avionic programmes benefited from the Merlin delay by getting capabilities they would otherwise have never seen – but had to pay for it. It is these costs which are probably hidden. As are the significant costs of extending the life of other ASW assets. And the unquantifiable cost of not having Merlin Mk1 in its envisaged secondary role – Commando, to supplement Mk4.
This is not a criticism. It is recognition that in many ways the air vehicle is just a taxi for the avionics / mission systems, albeit a very expensive one, especially if you amortise development costs across 42(?) aircraft instead of the planned 103. You cannot simply say “Merlin costs £XX” due to parallel, interrelated and interdependent equipment development and production costs. What I mean by this is that some Merlin kit was a development of that fitted to Sea King Mk5. In turn, Mk6 was in many ways an advancement on early Merlin designs, and Merlin had to struggle to catch up. Some would say still struggling. And one day it may even catch up with ASaC. In effect, Sea King, SHAR and Lynx paid for much of the primary capability in Merlin. As SHAR did for Typhoon. And so on. Oops, I’ve described joined up thinking – it must have been accidental.