Chinooks for the Stan

At last is all I can say - I presume these are the ones that have been rotting in a hangar because of a screwed procurement decision in the first place - so its money we shouldn't have to spend but hey its progress.

Eight Chinooks to Boost Operations in Afghanistan
UK Ministry of Defence | Dec 20, 2007

A £62 million contract with Boeing to convert eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters to a support helicopter role was announced by the MoD today. Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence, said:

"Helicopters play a vital role in supporting our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is why we are taking measures to make more helicopters available to operations as quickly as possible."

These helicopters will deliver a significant boost to the UK's operational heavy lift helicopter fleet. Chinooks are a key battle winning capability. The first helicopters are expected to be operational in 2009.

The eight converted Chinooks will join the existing fleet of 40 RAF Chinook helicopters and will be based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire.

Link here for full story

http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/army/Eight_Chinooks_to_Boost_Operations_in_Afghanistan110014620.php

 

well first of all yes it is good news, and about bloody time, but 2009??? why that long? surely the americans have some out in the desert in nevarda that we can lease??? I would say we need more than 40, perhaps looking at the long term we could buy more and if they are not needed either offer them to civilan work or put them into Desert storage ourselves.

but as you say combatintman at last.

Duncan

 

Classic piece of spin really - by saying that they are being 'converted for use as SH', the MOD is trying to imply that they are currently being used in some other role!

 

Are they just reannouncing what they announced some months ago ?

 

My God it has taken them an age to announce this. I thought this was dealt with in the summer, or did MoD have to go around every helicopter maker to ensure Boeing (the makers) were the best deal.
If God had used defence procurement to make the world it would have taken a little longer than 7 days.

 

The more helos the better, but it shouldn't detract from the debacle surrounding the purchase of these airframes in the first place! If it hadn't been fcuked up we would have had these aircraft available to the frontline for the past 8 years.

 

That's because you don't have to get soldiers dying in combat or air crashes approved in advance by a government committee, and that sort of thing never limits a junior minister's career opportunities

 

I wonder how many more helecopters would be available if the money used to rebuild thease airframes was invested in spares for the rest of the fleet?
If the Govt is so comitted to providing more lift where is the orders for the new generation of CH47F like the yanks are currently ordering? We had 8 airframes that could have immediatly gone into the programme

 

Nurse2, don't be ridiculous. As soon as the airframes are complete with this upgrade the Gov will announce 8 new CH47, which will infact be these airframes that will go in for conversion to CH47F, which will take another 8 years. So I reckon that we will actually get to fly in these in about 2018 or so!

 

And of course we can have as many airframes as we like, but with virtually all crews at least on their second tour we may run out of people to fly them!!!

 

Are these the same Chinooks that were purchased for use specifically in an SF role back in the 90's, but then were found to be incapable of flying in fog or something similar?

Does anyone know if the crabs will be standing up a new Squadron for these aircraft or if they will simply be spread around the exisiting ones?

 

Lewis Page takes a harsh look at this seveal days ago here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/20/chinook_hc3_cockup_finally_resolved_turkeys_fly_at_last/

 

Cheers Speedy

 

2009 until the first one is delivered?

That takes the pi$$. Why does it take so long to build something that is already manufactured so they don't have to go throught the trials and development phase?

 

As these Chonook HC.3s(serial numbers ZH897 to ZH904) will be very significantly different from the existing Chinook HC.2/HC.2A fleet,is is probable these will be operated by either 7 Sqn(the idea when the HC.3s were going to enter service years ago),or that a new helicopter unit will be stood up.

When the RAF recieved it's Chinook HC.2As(serial numbers ZH891 to ZH896) earlier this decade(these are apperently not like the Chinook HC.2),these were initially at least concentrated with 18 Sqn.

There were reports in Air Forces Monthly recently that the RAF may be recieving the new Chinooks being built in the States(CH-47F or MH-47G),with about 10 new helicopters being mooted.Only trouble here is the Spams are not prepared to release all the new technology(on MH-47Gs) to foreign countries(even their closest allies) at this time.

Time will tell.