Ah yes, the VERTREP or HU problem. Not sure trashing 6 perfectly good
"potential" Junglie airframes is the best way forward on that - surely they should just end up with CHF along with the Mk 3s.
What is desperately needed is for someone to articulate clearly the VERTREP requirement for both QEC and the wider fleet. If I were a requirementeer, I might want to include a planeguard/utility element to that requirement as well.
Not at all sure the solution to that requirement looks like a Merlin. It looks to me like something with about 6000lbs USL, cabin space for 6/7 (winchman, swimmer plus up to 4 or 5 inadvertent swimmers), minimum required avionics (assuming no-one is thinking JPR/CSAR) simple airframe with simple log support and able to tolerate repeated sorties in one day.
Don't know what that looks like, but I don't think it's this...
Kaman Helicopters | KMAX Aerial Truck
unfortunately, don't think it's this either....
File:Wessex 1982.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia