£1bn out of helicopters...and Cinderella was so close to getting to the ball. The ugly stepsisters have had their way again as all three services retreat behind their own parochial priorities. The RW shortage is not just for Afghan; the NAO report condemns the UK for a massive disparity between assumption and provision in rotorcraft - FRWS was probably our last chance for a generation to put it right. The really frustrating piece is that the most obvious target for cuts, Wildcat, will likely survive due to effective lobbying - the useful stuff, Chinook and, to a lesser extent, Puma 2, will suffer to maintain the force structure of the AAC and to continue to line the pockets of AW.
It's enough to make you weep...