Bismarck,
In an ideal world I agree with you entirely. However, the ATG Staff officers are the important piece here and they are currently drawn from (quite sensibly) CHF. There would be nothing to stop RAF/AAC pers from attending the AOPC, take part in a couple of desktops and then be ready at the start of the re-gen cycle post 2014 to run through a number of Wadexes etc before declaring a capability. Would there be a drop in efficiency - absolutely yes - but CHF themselves have suffered from a lack of embarked time recently. Flying from a deck in the Littoral in a modern helicopter is not hard; planning the DOTAH and fly-out tables is. You could, if so minded, make this a task of other aircrew apart from CHF. Is it any different to posting officers with no procurement experience into PTs/FLCs/CAPs? I don't think so (and before you ask, I've worked in procurement, completed the AOPC and done a number of amphib packages both live and practise. I may be a crab but I'd rather be in an air-conditioned cabin than stuck in a dusty tent...). If the right people are given the right training then CHF could fold. I would rather they didn't, they continue to provide an excellent service, but they could, just, be seen as gold plating. Anyway, let's hope the Merlin transfer goes ahead as planned. Time to draw a line methinks.
Engines re SDH et al - as ever, put more eloquently than wot I can...