Crab,
I can assure you that I have/had absolutely nothing to do with any of this and as this is a Rumour Network, only offer my thoughts from currently working the shop floor.
But I can understand why those that did make these decisions were lulled into such a belief by the politicians - even without the most damning NAO report highlighting major lift shortfalls, and also ignoring the harsh lessons learned in Afghan I can understand why those that heard Mr Brown's statement to the House promising to deliver the Rotary Wing Strategy was taken as endorsed policy on which the enabling desks were to act. Even with an impending SDSR I can further understand why Rotary Wing Strategy was taken in good trust (and therefore continued resourcing) as every single scenario that the NSC or DG Strat should or could have reviewed involved a significant amount of helicopters as an essential component.
Admittedly the Rotary Wing Strategy did remain mainly intact (Puma LEP, Merlins etc), but dropping to 15 wokkas obviously has resulted in a significant amount of potential rotary lift lost - but it was only when this lastminute.com announcement resulted in the confirmation that the training pipeline should now be scaled back to the re-aligned figure of 15 wokkas.
I dont agree with all of the above - and perhaps greater assurances and clarification should have been sought from the Treasury before putting the Rotary Wing Strategy into practice, but I do have empathy with those caught between a rock and hard place - damned if they anticpated the aircraft arrival and prime the training pipeline, and damned if they waited for the physical aircraft to arrive on our dispersal and wait for the training pipeline to catch up.
Despite all of this, Yozzer is right - I wasn't at Strawbs and that all important briefing, so I will wait and see what the crew room has to offer tomorrow. It cannot be that good as I agree, the silence is here is an interesting one....
Perhaps nothing to see, so no news and move along.....