Merlin HC3
OK, I'm going to bite now: "Nothing wrong with the Merlin,... but we just don't need it".
I thought we needed all the lift we could get. In case it has escaped your attention, we are long past the stage of deciding whether to buy EH101 or mor Chinooks - that was back in the mid-90s. Yes, more Chinook would have given more lift per £, but that's not everything and the decision has been made so let's get on with it and make the best of what we have rather than carping about what might have been. Arguably, in an AOR like southern Iraq, the Merlin is actually better placed than Chinook with almost 4 hours of internal fuel and a cabin conditioning system for the summer (not that it makes a heap of difference!). It's also faster, smoother and (again arguably) better protected.
What should we buy next? Well, that depends on the requirement. There is overlap in the capabilities of CH47 and Merlin, but if the requirement is to secure continued employment levels in Yeovil if FLynx doesn't make the cut in sufficient numbers then we may get more Merlin. Not as good as getting more Chinook, but by no means a disaster.