Hedski and piglet - no, I do not think I know more about the Primus but does your handbook say it is a ground mapping radar or does it say it is a weather radar with the ability to see land in its GMAP (yes I do realise what that stands for) modes.
Just because it has a Gmap mode (which is only the manufacturer's name for a mode with a certain optimisation using processing) it does not make it a ground mapping radar - it's just extra shop-dressing to make you buy this 'weather radar' rather than any others on the market - add the terms search, rescue and military operations and it makes it more attractive, not more capable.
Just how exactly do you close to land with any accuracy if you are not comparing a GPS derived position-driven graphic coupled with the raw/processed radar picture?
The level of your least experienced co at the moment is not where the Dft has set the bar is it? The contractors need to fill another 6 flts with SAR crews - that is a lot of real SAR experience to find from nowhere and their proposed minima for copilots means the contractors can go for the cheapest option.
So, do you really turn down experienced and current UK mil SAR operators with many years of SAR and NVG flying, instruction and examining just because they dare to challenge your operating ideas and concepts?
Exploitation can be an ugly part of the civie game.
and this is a recommendation for civilianising SAR???
The Dft will probably be exploited by AW promising to produce the 189 SAR variant in UK (a relatively small production run I suspect) to be seen to protect UK jobs and then be surprised when the rest of the 189 production reverts to Milan for the many more they will sell as a result of the UKSAR contract.
Junglie beefer - although the selective availability and anti spoofing was turned off by the yanks a few years ago, the mil encrypted GPS signal is still more accurate and less affected by jamming.
TOTD - very good
