BBC still can't get basic facts right
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7434763.stm

Makes reference to the MOD purchasing 6 Dutch Merlin's. Even I know they are Danish and the cloggies don't have Merlin's.

No more than one expects from the BBC.



This is the programme which prompted the scathing “lack of management oversight” criticism by the PAC.

What I want to know is, now he’s been awarded a gold star, does it sit above or below a CB? And is a Bar (or halo?) awarded for Nimrod MRA4?

You should see this for what it is.. some reporter somewhere types up a story in 10 mins, it doesn't leave much time to go into Order of battle etc etc.

Its not like he's saying theres WMD in them thar hills is it!!, this would sit a bit further up the tree of a gold standard cock ups...

I'd say its a bronze standard at best, its just a timely warning that the next time you purchase something make sure you get all the software access you require in the contract and not on a handshake.. <cough> jsf <cough>

cheers

I'd say it went from Bronze to Silver when the world and his dog predicted the precise problems years in advance and were ignored. And Gold was awarded when he said knowingly wasting money was "of no concern to MoD(PE)".

Must be the most expensive Chinooks so far - Maybe they're Stealth Chinooks now. They must be 'cos nobody's seen them! :E

Mk3s
 

I think what peeves me the most is the BBC trotting out yet another alleged ex-RAF expert to criticise the procurement process and also suggesting the SF modifications were the root cause of the software problems.

The root cause was the lack of any mention of DefStan 00-56 in the contract so we got what we asked for. That meant that every one of safety critical software items, not just the SF bits, were unable to be proved to be safe.

Having now been in Industry 5 years I am somewhat flabbergasted at the time taken to resolve this situation; we had a solution of sorts in late 2002 and there has been F2F since!!:ugh: