Brown looks at £1bn helicopter order
 

In the FT today Brown looks at £1bn helicopter order

The proposal is to cut low priority projects to free-up enough of the Defence budget to fund the purchase of twenty Chinooks over the next five to ten years.

See article for full details (cutting/pasting contravenes FT copyright).

Sounds crazy, but stick with me; if we need more things, rather than cutting some things that we presumably decided at some point that we might need, why not just increase the defence budget....?

Sounds crazy, but stick with me; if we need more things, rather than cutting
some things that we presumably decided at some point that we might need,
why not just increase the defence budget....?

I am confused here. I have heard Gordon Brown and other cronies say for ages
that we have enough Chinooks, and don't NEED any more. So why is he
considering buying some:bored:.

I hate to think I may be being cynical here but is it remotely possible he:
Was lying in the past
Is trying to make up for poor spelling and tidiness in a recent letter
Has realised there is an election looming (so is offering jobs for workers in the
U.S.A.

That said. Make the order for thirty Chinooks, and then still replace the Seakings
And Pumas:ok:

Don't be silly 5F6B, that would mean that we couldn't afford to pay developing countries to reduce their carbon emissions so as they can take all the UK's manufacturing industry away :ugh::ugh::ugh:

Best guess - this is linked to 28 / 72 re-equipping with CH-47Fs and the Merlins going to Cdo Heli Force.

I guess Benson and Ewelme will be getting a lot noisier than they currently are if this goes through! If it does go through, regardless of your opinion of the Merlin (I happen to think it is a decent bit of kit), this must surely give UK plc quite a significant SH capability when you look right the way across the potential new ORBAT.

That is fast...

Have they stopped faffing about at El Centro yet?

Faffing about??

Global Aviation Resource

Think the jobs would be in the UK (or Italy) ?

Boeing, AgustaWestland Sign Italy Chinook Deal - Farnborough News

"over the next five to 10 years."

now add the standard MOD delays, price over-runs etc ...

that will be 5B£ in 10 - 20 years then, oh just in time!!!

So then. All Merlin crews off on golden rivet hunting courses? Belvedere back on?

Which eye is he using to look at new orders?

Scrap the aircraft carrier orders, scrap the nuclear deterrent replacement and there should be enough in the budget to finance essential equipment for our forces. The Puma refurbishment and Seakings should be scrapped and replaced with Merlin and Chinooks, as should the pathetic upgrading of the Lynx engines and the purchase of the Future Lynx.

Sounds a bit drastic I know but its the only way to properly equip our brave men and women in the armed forces who are in harms way every day.

It certainly is, considering procurement of the last batch commenced in 1994 and they still aren't in service. I wonder if that batch will form part of the 20 in the report?

Are 72 Sqn getting rid of their Tucanos already? :}
Once a rotary sqn, always a rotary sqn.

Cheers Wizard ..... point made - strike 72 and replace with 78. That's what you get for typing whilst being nagged at - it's almost like having a Nav in the house!

Then again, maybe 72 would like to get involved and contribute to the current bout of nastiness ? :E

One less Merlin to handover now! If rumours are true.

It will be interesting to see waht cockpit configuration is chosen - Mk2/2a, Mk3R or Mk4.

Didn't CDS just say he expected us to be out of Afghanistan in about 5 years? What are we going to do with all those helicopters and might we need some of the things that will get delayed to allow us to buy them. If we're delaying a REQUIREMENT, I agree that the defence budget should be increased to pay for these helis.

Imperial Valley Press Quick News: Three injured during RAF helicopter landing

Rumour looks true!

RAF officials to investigate helicopter landing in Holtville airstrip, official says - Imperial Valley Press Online - Local News