Especially after the headlines of a few years ago about lack of lift.
But let's be honest - the whole "lack of lift" issue was actually a combination of lack of deployable (in AFG) cabs, coupled with residual demands in Iraq and limitations in the flying hours/cabs JHC were allowed (by HMT) to employ. Not to mention that the MERT (understandably) prefer to work out of a big cab, which takes out at least one ready wokka.
The real problem has been that neither the Puma, nor the SK were initially deployable in AFG and the SK wasn't until the Carson fit. Given that the JHC forward fleet (Puma, Wokka, SK4 and Merlin HC 3/3A) in 2008 according to DASA
UKDS 2010 - Chapter 4 - Formations, Vessels, Aircraft and Vehicles of the Armed Forces
was 96 aircraft, to have over half the fleet (HC1 and SK4) non-deployable was always going to cause issues, given maintenance, training, currency demands.
Once Herrick is done, the specific demands of AFG will be replaced by the need for a broader capability, which with the additional 22 chinooks (8 Mk3s plus the 14 new cabs) is going to be a challenge. Like it or not, fully embarked ops are going to be required - and not just on the O-boat / Lusty or QEC, RFAs are frequently used as host platforms for SH, so the solution will have to be
fully seagoing and fit the needs of 3 Cdo Bde.
That ain't Puma and it isn't a pure wokka force either. Merlin 3/3A is less than perfect starting point, but short of a new buy of something suitable (the amphib Merlin or CH53K) both of which highly unlikely, it's the best way forward of a bad bunch. As MM righly points out, if you're going aboard, you need to be scaled, trained and willling to do it for long periods.