Let's put a perspective on this.
NPAS was set up with the best intentions and 'most' of the board chipped in to make it a success.
But within a very short period it was apparent it wasn't going to work for two primary reasons.
The maths didn't make sense. A £15 million pound saving was required and this was from an an existing service which couldn't sustain such a hit. The politicains target was always wide of the mark.
NPAS is led by someone who has little or no understanding of an airforce and the job it is designed to do.
ALL the problems (allegedly) come from the Director of NPAS. He keeps the PCC and the CC of West Yorks in the dark using smoke and mirrors......and voila, they are where they are today.
To make an airforce work, the controlling authority need to understand - availability, resources, staffing, training, running costs - and that's just the aviation side!
He has ZERO understanding of that. [No problem - draft in someone who does. Enter - director of aviation]. What has he done?
Two people run NPAS, one is a cop and the other a pilot - one thinks he knows everything and runs around doing all the wrong things and making all the wrong decisions and the other actually knows everything but hears nothing, sees nothing and speaks nothing.
Most forces have picked up on this and are now factoring this into their daily ops. They simply circumvent NPAS as a matter of course. I have spoken to many of them. NPAS is becoming insignificant from the bobby on the beat's perspective.
Maybe this is what will shape the NPAS of the future - A strategic response vehicle only.