Tourist said:
"If a civvy certified engineer can fit a wescam to a helicopter in about a week and a quick sketch on a fag packet then why can we not?!?!? "
That is pure and utter drivel and demonstrates your lack of knowledge of civil (and military?) practices and processes! Thats proabably your silliest quote yet.
I am one of those pesky "civvy certified engineers" and my last job was with a substantial Police ASU and believe me, this is NOT possible at all, not even from ECUK!
What you have probably misunderstood (again?) is their use of a fully AIRWORTHY and APPROVED Wescam Supplemental Type Certificated modification for one of many types of civil and military aircraft and several dozen AIRWORTHY and APPROVED adapters to choose from.
Those Wescam guys have a really good reputation to protect and they won't risk it on cutting their processes short just for a small MOD contract.
There will be a rush to complete the job - but not the Haste of recent MOD-type "airworthiness" - and the Job will be COMPLETE when finished, including the drawings, stress and elect load calculations, approvals, documentation and installation paperwork.
The "Fag Packet" you heard of was likely their commission being worked out.