Mountain Wings (and Father Hackett),
Why do you think for one moment that HMG should tell you (either way)until they are good and ready-how many large companies in decline have not let their workforce know of the terminal nature until the very last moment?
If you think that we are any different from any other employee then sadly I feel as though you may be deluding yourself.
I do not know the answer, but I do know that much change is in the air (much apparently as a result of papers authored by our airships - the ongoing RW study allegedly came about after our lords and masters asked for it, so we can hardly turn our nose up when we don't like the findings), but others include Defence Transformation and the impending 2nd Tranche of redundancies.
Also we, as with the whole of the nation, should remember that we are broke, and if we cannot afford all of our helicopters then logic would suggeust that Puma is the one to go.....isn't it?
Are we really suggesting that we remove Wildcat or Apache or Merlin from the inventory to save Puma (which is due to go in 2025 anyway). Or do we just continue to salami slice from all fleets - something which historically we have all been against on these threads.
If there is any doubt that if Defence/Politicians find during this RW study that the best value for money is transferring [B]all[B] Battlefield Helicopters to the Army, then (as per the Australians and the US 101st) it will happen. Our 260 holdees that will not see a cockpit for 3 years will soon jump at the chance, and sadly people like me with only a few years to pension and a (second) wife and family to feed/clothe will pick up the slack at the other end of the spectrum. Again, we are deluding ourselves if we think that there will be a mass exodus.
I know, it sucks-but we are unbelievably broke and ethos, effect and capability have been overtaken with a new language of cost, value for money and efficiency.
