Junior staff, in what is a high turnover area given MoD personnel rules, learn what is “acceptable” and follow their “leader”. That is, they don’t rock the boat, can screw up big time, and advance. It is left to fewer and fewer experienced boat rockers to fight the good fight.
And that in a nutshell, WCBH, is where your SFS, 760, F700, ADS, 2(R)1, etc, etc, action ends up, in the waste paper basket of a junior CS who knows better than to rock the boat! As a taxpayer I agree with Tuc that MOD reform is a sine qua non. However I repeat again my annoying and boring mantra that Military Aviation in the UK must be subject to a Military Aviation Authority (or combined MCAA) external to the MOD. Airworthiness, like wars, costs money, and the temptation to skimp here and cut back there will always compromise that process when the user is its own regulator. Self regulation is a British indulgence that is proven time and time again not to work. The cost in lives alone for compromising airworthiness is totally and completely unacceptable. The brave men and women who operate and maintain our military aircraft need total confidence in the Airworthiness and Flight Safety process. The MOD would assure us that their confidence would be well placed. I for one would not believe them.