Sorry to get back to the thread................
Surely the golf bag approach is the one to adopt! Aside from the Marines issue having Apache in 16 AABde was/is a good idea as long as it has Aviation in mind. The Bde has been tied up in operations with its infantry Battalions and therefore unable to progress with AH stuff that is ‘beyond the immediate horizon’.
Apache is a fantastic tool and can do an awful lot more than has been done by Aviation in the past although it does have its limitations. It is not invulnerable and has situations where it may not be a good idea to employ it as has every other piece of kit we have. This comes down to the chain of command understanding how and when to use it. A principle that has existed with every piece of equipment we have although this new machine has its own set of unique circumstances.
16 AABde appears to concentrate on current ops as is quite right but to go back to supporting formations would also be a step backwards for Apache as that would restrict its ability to support Air Ops etc. What would be more logical would be to Brigade Aviation separate to an Airborne Bde thereby retaining the ability to support formations in Land Warfare and also to develop its ability to support Air Ops. This would allow full mission capability whilst restricting the infrastructure required in order to support the beast both digitally and logistically.
Views??????