JFH should consider itself lucky that there are other types that can give it a break from Herrick to arrest the skill fade, and that there is a hierarchy in the RAF that is keen to give them a rest. This is most certainly not happening in the wokka community, which also has "unique capability" as the only RAF amphib RW asset and as the only meaningful lift platform in theatre. A few years ago the Chinook wing had a considerable spread of experience (various environmental / amphib / TLT etc). The attrition of experienced personnel and the paucity of cabs has resulted in a veneer thin level of experience that when (if) they get a rest will take years (and a lot of money) to recover. Skill fade indeed....
Replacing Harrier with Tonka seems a lot better than replacing Chinook with Merlin / Carson Queenies. The latter complement, they cannot replace.
I do wonder, in a cynical moment, how much of this is meant at getting the NSW out of Afghanistan....