In fact, and accepting they are different theatres with different challenges, the Merlin actually ended up as a better fit for MND(SE) than the Chinook - enough internal fuel to get to the very edges of the AOR and hang about a while (up to an hour more than a CH47), a significantly more comfortable and slightly faster ride (as good for CASEVACs as it is for VIPs, and actually taking troops a long way in comfort means they get there in better shape). Of course, there are areas where the CH47 wins, but actually when we looked at what the task actually was and what had been done there were only one or two occasions in the whole time since TELIC1 that it was really necessary to lift a vary big load.