Those Chinooks...
 

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/index.cfm...2509D2543D7D59

Hooray for Des!

Not a word about where they came from and why they were surplus to requirement in their previous role.

Why not?

Aaah, MoD spin at work. That sounds a little better than stating that they are to 'convert eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters to Chinook Mk2'. Also, the number of times that this batch of Chinnies has been announced in press releases, the general public probably think we've acquired about 80 of them in the last few years.

It is great news that these airframes will finally fly and that the wokka fleet will be reinforced at a time when the cabs are being flogged to death. However, it is an absolute scandal that this procurement has been handled so negligently. Letters of resignation should be flying in government circles over this matter, but of course that will never happen.

It has been reported that the modification work won't take place until 2009, so don't hold your breath for more Chinooks in the near future.

It actually started with the Mk 2, and just carried on. :ugh::ugh:

Brian,

Best wishes for the festive period and my fingers are crossed for your total success in 2008 :ok:

"Letters of resignation should be flying in government circles over this matter, but of course that will never happen."

Well, if they're struggling to get things that are designed to fly in the air, then I have my doubts about those letters you speak of.

Still, we can hope.

And wait...

Theres quite a few Senior Officers that were in the IPT at the time that are deserving of a firing squad too.

Wasn't it the last lot of self-important idiots that ordered them? 12 years ago IIRC

Yet more Govt spin
 

Great news that they are planning on actually utilizing the frames that they bought and cocked up.

However, despite all the current fanfare, hardly hot of the presses type news. Actually just a re-hash of the original announcement made back in Mar 07: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...orcesvideo.htm

I thought we had seen the back of this tactic of re-announcing investments and dressing them up as multiple new investments to make the Govt look good. Apparently not, but then again the way things are going for GB & DB at the moment any port in a storm eh boys.