So a year to do the study and then the design stage. As it is to be a "glass cockpit" and complete rewiring of the airframe QinetiQ will still have to be involved to approve these changes as well as the accompanying software, so there would be no saving there. It has been reported that this Mk will replace the Mk1 in 2012.
Forgive me for being pessimistic more likely 2015, if that. I just hope that, based on the experiences gained during the introduction of the Chinook HC Mk2 and Mk3, DPA get their act together this time.
An awful lot of the design work is already done, as this is not a completely new project for EC. The Mk2 is largely based on a very similar conversion that EC have done for a number of different customers. The engines (and associated mods such as installing torquemeter pick-off from the MGB), and the glass cockpit already exist and are already flying on these other models. The main difference between these other versions and ours is the comms & avionics fit, however the design for that it at an advanced stage already, being based on an already extant system.
QinetiQ have been involved almost from the start of this project, to head off at an early stage any of the sort of problems that beset the Chinook Mk 3.
As for 2015, I have been told that a prototype will be ready for flight trials next year, and that EC have the capacity to actually deliver the mk 2 as planned. However, experience has taught us to be pessimistic, it avoids disappointment later on!