Originally Posted by
Could be the last?
Considering the financial climate the MOD is operating within, there must also be other platforms in the firing line? When you consider the rationalisation of the FJ and AT Forces, surely it is only a matter of time before someone casts an eye over the SH Force and looks to make some kind of saving.........?
How much more of a saving do you think can be made? We've already slashed the numbers of Puma during the upgrade to 24, scrapped the Sea King Mk4 without replacement (clearly they got Me3, but that is still a significant reduction in overall lift) and imho the new buy of Chinook is likely to be replacement of older airframes rather than a long-term increase in numbers.
If you want to continue to provide lift for Army on Ops as we do now and have done continuously for the past 15+ years, then you need aircraft. The grass is always greener, but we look at the rest of the RAF with envy; twice as many Typhoons as we have helicopters, comparatively new aircraft/capabilities like F35, P8, Reaper/Protector, Voyager, C17, A400, RJ etc... fancy swapping, you'll love tents on Salisbury Plain!