Any of this to do with Bowman and batteries?
A fair question in my opinion. Correct me if I'm wrong, but BOWMAN HF is the radio of choice in mountainous regions. At the time in question, there was a total recall of BOWMAN HF batteries due to their nasty habit of bursting into flames, caused by poor quality design and production. Compounded by the fact the problem with that particular manufacturer is well known and understood by every other IPT in MoD that buys this battery type, so they tend to buy batteries that cost half the price, last longer, weigh less, don't explode and can be recharged 500 times (to spec) instead of a handful. But not with a BOWMAN charger, because they're crap as well.
This amounts to tens of millions wasted each year, which could have bought a few winches (and ESF). Having said that, we probably have enough winches, they're just lying unserviceable somewhere as nobody can be bothered to arrange repair.
In 1986 I attended a SAR policy meeting in Empress State. The final details of the CSAR conversion programme were agreed. Then the beancounter walked in..........
