Helicopters For Afghanistan
Somebody should be asking the question as to why the MOD are going through an expensive excercise/review of upgrading RAF Puma HC to Makila 1A engines.
For the last 6 months PUMA 330s already modified, overhauled and zero timed in last 3 years, fitted with the powerful Makila 1A1 engines, Glass Cockpit, Sand Filters, wirestrike etc are available on the open market.These being ideally suited for Afghanistan.Up to twelve of these are available now.Adapted to service requirements under an urgency programme, there is no reason that at least six of these cannot be in service before the year end.
MOD procurment and IPT management executive were already aware of these last year.
These Helicopters are still available now, fully serviceable and doubltess can be obtained at a modest cost compared with what Eurocopter and its consortium are proposing under the present PUMA in service extension date review, a contract for which could be announced shortly? If so, at what cost and delay to our forces and the taxpayer.