Any Good Procurement Stories?
 

Having seen lots of procurement mysteries by the MOD I'm curious as to weather there are any stories of getting it right / under budget / quiet sucesses?

Are you having a larf?:confused::confused:

I can only congratulate the War Dept section that dealt with procurement of male undergarments in the late 1940s. They must have placed an order for delivery in 1952 for long johns. Some or all of that 1952 delivery stayed on shelves until 1979, for that was when my long johns were issued to me at RAF Leeming as an RN snottie. Only seven years older than me, they continue to serve me very well.

Is there any other MoD equipment delivered in 1952 (or before) that continues to work as well as my long johns?

This one

or this one? :E

REAPER.....Quickly, quietly, successfully, by a few dedicated individuals.

I now that the mis-informed may disagree, and that is their right.

Roland Pulfrew - good point. When should I expect a request to display my historic apparel? :E

Not long before ARK-R left service, I was shown some comms kit mounded in the cross passage behind the bridge that had valves in it. The makers date was 1974 I think. So that was 11 years before she entered service.

Can't remember what the kit was, but I wonder if it will end up in QE?

Hi everybody,

My boss is, like, totally bustin me about writing some article or something but I was off the day they taught looking stuff up at Journo school so is there anybody out there who could do this for me?

HMY Britannia's 240v supply was generated by a Paxman-built engine first fitted in HMSM Viper as a main propulsion unit. It was removed from Viper in 1943, rebuilt by Paxman to serve as a diesel generator and fitted in 1953. It is still in place today.

I paid for a few tons avtur with a GPC. That was quick, efficient and I got what I wanted on time and on budget. :8

Does anyone recall the green woollen balaclavas issued in the late '80s?

The tale told was that in 1943 some Airship had spotted a rather natty balaclava being sported by some youth or other in one of the the Scottish Outer Islands.

Thinking this was perfect for wartime aircrew, a sample of the garment was sent to the Air Ministry for trial and an order promptly made to the original knitter.

The lady on the Island recruited two of her friends and they went to full speed on the needles.

40 years and some thousands of balaclavas later, someone finally twigged and cancelled the order.

Hence the one-off issue of a balaclava.

The only snag with the things was that they had been stockpiled in some warehouse or other for years and came with the overpowering stink of mothballs.

In 1964 I met someone who was a machinist at Handley Page. He was still turning out parts for the Halifax to meet MoD orders.

For success, try this NAO report on support for Fast Jets:

Transforming logistics support for fast jets - National Audit Office

"the Tornado and Harrier Integrated Project Teams costs have reduced from a total of 711 million in 2001-02 to 328 million in 2006-07, providing a cumulative saving of some 1.4 billion over the six-year period"

A significant achievement, not to be confused with the subsequent decision to massively reduce our FJ capability!:sad:

...and one in every pack!

It has long been MoD policy not to trumpet or attempt to learn from procurement successes; of which there have been many.

The official line is that to do so would raise the bar and with it the expectations of both the Users (you) and our Masters (Government). Favourite phrases used to people who dare deliver to Time, Cost and Performance include;

1. "You are an embarrassment to the Department"
2. "You are tainted by your experience"

In both cases followed by "Find another job".

I'm sure everyone will have good fun with this thread, but the above is demonstrably true.

Ask the Non-Project-Procurement-Organisation (NPPO) exactly how much they are saving now!

MTB

TD, nice one but clearly not true for the air force as they would have been blue not green.

On the Ark's 'old' kit, the Vulcan had pillar lamps stamped KG VI. The self-same lights were fitted the that great COTS success, the Nimrod Mark 1. Avro's must have had a hangar full.

In 1969 we could still get brand new, newer issued, kit for the Lanc such as drift sights.

PN,

I would have thought Blue too. But.......they were Green. Also they didn't have any label sewn into them to further identify them. All I know is that Lossie reeked of mothballs for weeks.

Plus, why ruin a good story with the truth. However,.............. stranger things have happened.

Rgds

TD

Comp widger
 

Yes, Dan - the famous compo tin widger! Most functional and reliable piece of kit I came across in 35 years of RAF service.

Probably would have worked at 100 fathoms or in outer space - and wouldn't have interfered with a nuclear weapon either.