Merlin Helicopters Pulled Out Of Afghanistan

[HaveQuick2]

Merlin Helicopters Pulled Out Of Afghanistan

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent
After four years flying in Afghanistan the British fleet of Merlin helicopters has completed its final mission and is being readied to leave the country early.
The announcement is the latest development in the UK's phased withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During their time serving in the conflict the helicopters have flown in excess of 18,000 hours, moved more than 7,900 tons of kit and stores, and transported over 130,000 personnel.
Engineers will now clean and dismantle the helicopters so they can be flown back to their base at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire on C-17 transport planes.
Commenting on the announcement, Group Captain Frazer Nicholson, the Commander of the Joint Aviation Group, based in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, said: "In 2010, we required more than 2,300 helicopter hours a month and now that number has dropped by around 40%.
"We are now able to redeploy the Merlin from theatre as we simply do not need the helicopter capacity we currently have."

[dervish]

So who is carrying out the 1400 hours per month still needed that Merlin used to do?

[Thomas coupling]

Read Frazer's statement: there is no longer the demand...the lads are coming home.

[Tourist]

Thank you gentlemen, please try not to dent them on the way home, we'll look after them now....

[Thomas coupling]

what's the latest downtime ratio for Merlin's now? It was around the 1hr airborne:45hr maintenance level. After handing the Mk3's over to the senior service, how many serviceable cabs remaining for future 'secondary' tasks?

[wokkamate]

were they in Afghanistan?

[Chinny Crewman]

Wokkamate, apparently so; they managed to lift just under half a ton and fly 7.2 pax per hour flown apparently (but not at the same time)

[GreenKnight121]

Originally Posted by article posted by HaveQuick2

Group Captain Frazer Nicholson, the Commander of the Joint Aviation Group, based in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, said: "In 2010, we required more than 2,300 helicopter hours a month and now that number has dropped by around 40%.

So ~1,380 helicopter hours per month still needed.

Originally Posted by dervish

So who is carrying out the 1400 hours per month still needed that Merlin used to do?

Chinook & Puma for the RAF, Lynx for the Army & RN, Sea King for the RN.

Originally Posted by Thomas coupling

Read Frazer's statement: there is no longer the demand...the lads are coming home.

You re-read Fraser's statement... they still need 60% of "2,300 helicopter hours per month"... or the 1,400 hours dervish was asking about.

[JFZ90]

given this drop in demand, do we still need the new chinooks?

[Just This Once...]

Yes this is bound to be the last war where Chinooks would be handy and every audit to date has said how flush we are for RW lift. So yes, scrap the lot.

Err… nurse...

[TheWizard]

Originally Posted by GreenKnight121

Chinook & Puma for the RAF, Lynx for the Army & RN, Sea King for the RN.

Eh?? In Afghanistan?? I doubt it!

[dervish]

Thanks GK121, that's the way I read it.

But how many hours will remain on the cabs that we're left with? Is it wise to boast Merlin force can do 2300 hours a mont? I can see the argument coming with a beancunter on one side saying "chop the numbers", and the RAF on the other pleading "sustainability."

[Finnpog]

The article also points out that the remaining lift will come from the other british helies in theatre and Afghan and ISAF colleagues.

Also this bit as the last three sentences/paragraphs

Originally Posted by Article

After their return to RAF Benson the Merlins will join the rest of the Merlin Force in the ongoing transition of the aircraft to Joint Helicopter Command's Royal Navy Commando Helicopter Force.

The maritime force is trained and equipped for expeditionary joint operations and the Merlins will be prepared for their new role in supporting amphibious operations.

RAF personnel are currently training the Royal Navy aircrew and engineers on the operation and maintenance of the helicopter, which is due to move to a maritime role by 2015.

I guess a draw down from Sea King will realise more savings earlier.

[Davef68]

Is it wise to boast Merlin force can do 2300 hours a mont?

I don't think he does. As I read it, what he means is:

"In 2010, the requirement from the British SH force was 2,300 hours per month. We were unable to meet this with just Chinooks, so we deployed the Merlins as well. Now, that demand has fallen by 40%, we can meet it just using the deployed Chinook force"

[Ricorigs]

Dave,

I think that the good Group Captain is referring to the whole fleet of the joint aviation group in Bastion.

So in 2010 it was Sea Kings (Mk4/7), Apache, Lynx, Merlins and Chinooks.

I doubt the SH fleet would fly 2300 hours a month on their own.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Chinook & Puma for the RAF

I don't think there are many RAF Pumas in Afghanistan at the moment...

[Not_a_boffin]

Or in the air anywhere....

[Door Slider]

Apart from almost everyday at Boscombe Down

[Not_a_boffin]

many RAF Pumas

The key word being "many"........hope the ones at Boscombe are busy

[dragartist]

Puma Mk2

Assume the Pumas at Boscombe will be the Mk2s?

Always wondered what a Puma could do that a Merlin could not?

From what I have seen and my Boy told me (he did a tour on Apache at Bastion) the Chinook has been/is brilliant.

I don't suppose I am qualified to comment but I figure Merlin was more a "make work task" for Westland. More about politics than aerodynamics. please tell me otherwise. Yes there are green ones, grey ones and Danish ones.