Nige
Spot on!
I've just been on Beeb Wiltshire but sadly, I hadn't seen Ainsworth's bit. Mind you I might have laid into him and said something I later regretted! It is no wonder the Coroner is a bit miffed!
I welcome Ainsworh's admission of guilt over ESF and the whole inquest has underlined the importance of your and Chappie's campaign to pressurize the MoD into fleet-wide embodiment. You have acheived so much, well done.
However, I am spitting feathers at Ainsworths comments over the systemic failures - does he think that we are stupid? Firstly, his comments are crass and insensitive but there is nothing new in that - he did the same after the Nimrod verdict. Secondly, how can he explain away the obvious failings of communication, direction and decision-making between DEC, the IPT, the designers, DSTL and the user! The system that is meant to ensure airworthness and fitness-for-purpose is broken - no-one knows who's responsibility it is let alone which regulations to implement! This cannot go on, otherwise we will have to go through this whole thing again, as the MoD minister has apparently learnt nothing.
This is the time that we need top-level political impetus - Mr Hutton, as a new Def Sec has inherited a bag of nails, caused by years of neglect and a death by a thousand cuts, presided over by people like Ainsworth. Mr Hutton now has the opportunity to grasp the nettle and get to the root cause of tragedies like the Herc and the Nimrod and in so doing, accomplish all the Coroner's recommendations.
I would argue he should start, in the first, by ensuring the A400M comes into service properly protected as outlined above.
As importantly, however, Mr Hutton should also seek to reform the defence procurement and airworthiness/FFP process. This system was once the best in the world but is now a shadow of its former self. As a result, our servicemen go to war with equipment more suited to Salisbury Plain than Helmand Province! This is unacceptable and cannot continue. There needs to be a full and independent review of this system......NOW!
Our servicemen and women go to war on our behalf and under the orders of our politicians. The very least we can expect is that those people who risk their lives willingly for us are given protection that makes their task easier and are not given equipmentnt that, effectively, does the enemy's job for him!!!!
As Chappie said - we are watching, the world is watching for a mature response from the MoD. Unfortunately, Mr Aisworth fell short.
Flip
On a point of note, I am sure that what the Coroner was intimating by using the term 'Combat Aircraft' was:
all aircraft that are (or could be) flown in an operational theatre, which would include all transport, maritime, C3 and rotary assets and not just FJ!
or words to that effect.
If the MoD think that they can use terminology to hide behind, then they should think again.