Wrecking Ball - a few years ago I still though there might be chance of avoiding the SARH transition - naively hoping that someone in MoD/Govt would see what they were throwing away and just cough up some cash for new helos.
Now I am resigned to the inevitability but slightly heartened that the SARH process with the inputs from the military SMEs has at least ensured that what comes in 2012 will be as good as we can possibly make it.
There is still a worry that the contract will go to the cheapest bidder who will have skimped on training to make profit but I am told that the financial element of the bid only counts towards 10% of the scoring - hhhmmmmmm I'll wait out on that one.
Don't expect Chiv to be civilianised until 2016 or so, it will probably be one of the last to go (along with Wattisham) because we operate the Mk 3A instead of the very knackered Mk 3s.
I believe the WTD requires 5.7 crews per flight to work so 6 shifts a month is very likely - there might even need to be more crews than that at some flights to cope with the Falklands manning. This is apparently saving money post 2012 - we are presently downsizing to 4 crews per flight and wondering why we can't plug all the gaps or comply with the WTD!
Cheaper? No.
Better? New aircraft will make a difference but it will hinge on who gets employed and how much training they do.