I have just read this thread with interest, and wonder why it has degenerated so quickly into a willy waving competition?
SDSR has hit the RAF and RN particularly hard. I can't quite work out how the Army have got away so lightly in manpower terms? The Army are losing only around 5% of their workforce when the RAF and RN have lost more like 15%. With over 100,000 personnel, and only around 8,000 ever deployed at any one time, how did the Army pull this off? What do the other 95 odd thousand personnel do?!
The Truth
The truth is this: Ask ANYONE who has served on the ground over the last 50 years, who they would like, and who they could rely on to get them out of the
when they needed it. The answer is the Junglies. Quite rightly so there is a lot of value on the 'can do' attitude they hold.
The RAF CH force have done a fantastic job in Afghan in the last few years, using a very capable aircraft in tough conditions, and they are building themselves a good reputation for reliability and willingness to go the extra yard.
The ME force are the 'new boys' in the Afghanistan theatre, and they are yet to earn their spurs. Unfortunately they have potentially written off 2 aircraft from the ORBAT already.
So what to do with the Merlin aircraft post SDSR?
If the decision is purely a financial one, then there appears some merit in keeping the status quo and leaving them at Benson.
However, if you dig a little deeper, it becomes obvious very quickly that the output from a CHF unit is exponentially higher than an RAF unit. For example a member (aircrew or engineer) of CHF will probably be deployed for, on average, 40% of their time, either on exercise, training, or in theatre. This compares with around 20% for their RAF SH counterparts. CHF personnel deploy one in four (one on, three off) for Afghanistan, and still have to complete non-operational commitments in their 'spare' time. An RAF member will deploy for perhaps 3 months in theatre, and then have 15 months 'off' (without having to maintain currencies post theatre)
Q. Which units from JHC contributed to Exercise Auriga at the same time as maintaining their enduring theatre commitment?
A. Commando Helicopter Force
This may well be down to RAF units quite rightly looking after their personnel, and having a far less rigorous deployment schedule, however on a value-for-money basis the RN personne deliver far more per person than their RAF SH counterparts.
SDSR was never a strategic review, merely a cost cutting exercise. However, as an independent observer, I think the idea of losing the Commando Helicopter Force, their experience, ethos, productivity and ability as the most competent operators of SH aircraft is absolutely incredulous.
Therefore this is probably what will happen.
Lets hope the Argentinians don't start heading towards Stanley again, as this time we will really be raiding a bare cupboard.