Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Tried to get a service lap top lately????

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Tried to get a service lap top lately????

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 18th Jul 2008, 17:14
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Oxon
Age: 66
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Tried to get a service lap top lately????

MoD admits loss of 747 laptops and secret data files - Yahoo! News UK

No wonder there is a shortage of IT gear, seems we are a very careless bunch
Seldomfitforpurpose is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2008, 18:27
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the clag EGKA
Posts: 1,026
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Don't you have to sign for kit anymore? The most we were ever able to nick was a gallon of avgas for the TC.
effortless is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2008, 19:32
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Darling - where are we?
Posts: 2,580
Received 7 Likes on 5 Posts
But why would you want a service laptop?

They're big, clunky, heavy (although not heavy enough to stop them being nicked) things, running software that is so far out of date that when you get to your meeting you can never tell if the thing is compatible.

I'm almost surprised that whoever stole those 747 laptops hasnt' handed them back for being ****e!
Melchett01 is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2008, 19:33
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: WSM
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I remember reading a brief a couple of years back that any loss of military IT with a memory was raised at cabinet level. Has this changed?

I reckon that the huge losses can be explained by unit closures, particularly large HQs where everything starts off with determined organisation then decends into a bag of nails as the closure draws near and people start to bleed away. The Locking move to Cosford in 99/00 followed that pattern and all the signs of a repeat where in place at Innsworth. You'd think that by now we'd be good at closing a unit down but we're not. Massive NFI sets in and the majority of the rear party is composed of people who are close to timex (no requirement for a posting and usually happy to stay in the area) whose eyes are on an understandably different horizon.
endplay is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2008, 20:58
  #5 (permalink)  
Green Flash
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Everyone who is issued with a laptop should have their personal details (address, bank etc etc) put on the desktop by the IT plods in an unmoveable password protected read-only file. Should concentrate minds wonderfully, I would have thought .....
 
Old 18th Jul 2008, 21:22
  #6 (permalink)  
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 81
Posts: 16,777
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Nah, I got a laptop, cr^p as suggested above, never used it, but it took 6 months for the loan chit to catch up. All that chit did was clear the yardarm of some bean counter somewhere; it did nothing for accountability as there was no follow up inventory action.
Pontius Navigator is offline  
Old 18th Jul 2008, 22:35
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the clag EGKA
Posts: 1,026
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
endplay

I reckon that the huge losses can be explained by unit closures, particularly large HQs where everything starts off with determined organisation then decends into a bag of nails as the closure draws near and people start to bleed away
I think that you have it there. I have been at the death of one or two MOD projects and commercial enterprises. Stuff just vaporises and no one can be arsed to check it out. I know one "last man standing" who paid off his mortgage with drums of silver plated cable etc.
effortless is offline  
Old 19th Jul 2008, 21:39
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: with the wife
Posts: 371
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
From my perspective, the rot started when OCs Cis Eng got their own budgets and started the rot. The budget holder exercised his new found freedom and thought he was a jack-the-lad when it came to striking deals direct with companies - Dell, Cisco, Gateway, etc - because he thought he 'knew' how the contracts and procurement system worked. Only problem was, he didn't tell the stackers when he had ordered them (so no tendering or formal contract raised), when the computors were received he signed and cleared the 640's himself (so not brought on charge) and didn't ask for the kit to be put on an inventory when they were dished out. Result? - lots of inventory holders..and others... thinking they were freebies and the said items possibly 'vanishing into the night'. When the bean-counters finally got round to counting how much had been spent on computers and how many they could track down, it didn't take an Einstein to work out that 1+1 doesn't = 3. When the stackers tried to get that particular purchase sorted out, it was a case of 'wind yer neck in, it's my budget and I'll do what I want' and OC Eng supported him!! This happened on one unit I was on, there must have been many other cases elsewhere.
4mastacker is offline  
Old 19th Jul 2008, 21:58
  #9 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Oxon
Age: 66
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What a fantastic concept, someone buys equipment and actually gives it to the folk that need it........................now if only the RAF Supply branch could develop that ethos.................
Seldomfitforpurpose is offline  
Old 19th Jul 2008, 23:28
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,952
Received 2,856 Likes on 1,223 Posts
They Do,

But do not forget it is Standard Military practice that the objects must be stored for a minimum of 10 years with Mothballs to ensure they are both obsolete and musty before being issued......
NutLoose is offline  
Old 22nd Jul 2008, 15:37
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 1998
Location: England
Posts: 1,930
Received 7 Likes on 4 Posts
MoD admits loss of 747 laptops and secret data files - Yahoo! News UK

No wonder there is a shortage of IT gear, seems we are a very careless bunch
But then again I just happened to come across this in a book I was reading:
A somewhat unfortunate incident took place when I sent a flying officer with important despatches from G.H.Q. to the officer commanding the British column. It was not without humour. The pilot entrusted with the despatches was told to drop them without landing, so on getting into his machine he explained to the mechanic who was accompanying him to throw them over when he waved his hand and pointed down. They set off; on approaching Babylon the pilot thought he would point out the ruins for the edification of his mechanic. So he circled round and pointed. Away went the despatches!.. the Indian cavalry searched the area for two days, until the secret papers were fortunately recovered.
From: In the Clouds Above Baghdad by Lt Col J E Tennant RFC written in 1920

So maybe not such a new thing after all........
Roland Pulfrew is offline  
Old 22nd Jul 2008, 21:36
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Wiltshire
Age: 60
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
So we have lost 747 service laptops? If you really want one I suppose you could look on ebay?
ianp is offline  
Old 23rd Jul 2008, 10:10
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Yeovil
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I didn't realise the MOD had 747's, and why would an aircraft that big need a laptop?
fod_that is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.