Evalu8ter,
I bow to your superior knowledge - and there is only one requirements meeting......
get the commander off the ground (or beach) and ask him what he wants
and that should also answer Nab's 'what is the question'....
The question is....what does the commander on the ground really want and need to deliver (lift) his troops into combat? And before anyone says infantry grunts know diddly about air operations or elecopters, then sadly there is many a brown job that truly knows what is required....both now in our current conflict, and probably for the troops that are going to need to lifting for future conflicts.
Ironically though (if you re-read my posts) Evalua8r, I do agree with you, and an increase in lift is required 'at the rush' and therefore we should just get on with it - and yes, Merlin will adapt to adding value to current and future conflicts (if the Junglies can make their current Sea King work, then I am sure that they will work around the limitations of our Merlin!) - there you go Talk Split, there is is your rare compliment.
We are where we are (yeeeeuch - did I just say that
) - lets just get on and do it shall we (but first of all lets see if Prime Minister Brown actually approves what us non-civil serpents having been waxing lyrical about shall we!)