Really good news for the Puma guys - is it the whole Puma LEP, or just the airframes already in the system?
But, something is certainly stirring up the road, not only have I had a whole load of the Merlin lot asking informally about how our transition plan is going, they then get a bit arsey when I say that we are tight on hours and spaces for our own guys, let alone absorbing them.
Some of the Merlin community still adamantly believe that Merlin will remain with us and are determined to ensure that whatever it takes they will delay and prevent RN footholds, others just do not want anything to do with the time away at sea and therefore are happy to go for Joint Force Merlin approach, conceding one of our squadrons to the RN, and just recently there is a small but determined bunch that are planning their exit strategy to CH47 as although they have not been told, they think there is now recognition that Merlin is going to the RN and that they had better do something about it before the music stops and they do not have a cockpit to sit in!
Personally, I am with the delay/wait and see community, hopefully by about 2015 Defence will turn around to the RN, give them a pat on the head and say 'well done for trying', give them one Merlin squadron that is always at sea, ultimately under a light blue command structure (so kind of a Joint Force Merlin, but commanded by us).
But as we were all saying yesterday, nothing formal seen (the word 'intent' is such a lovely word, meaning everything, and nothing, at the same time
As Seldom said, it was looking pretty bleak for us, but fortunately our ex boss and his team in town have done us proud and saved the (Puma) day - lets hope they can do some magic in swinging the Merlin open debate back our way too.
