Do you find it hard to type with webbed hands?I am from the part of the UK where helicopter orders or cancellations count as local news.
Do you find it hard to type with webbed hands?I am from the part of the UK where helicopter orders or cancellations count as local news.
Merlins are fine for reliability; we just didn't buy enough spares to suppprt them in 3rd line maintenance. That it turn just extends the timelines to get anything done.
Like most helicopters, they work best when they're flown pretty intensively.
I am from the part of the UK where helicopter orders or cancellations count as local news.
The six fingers on each hand makes up for the webbing.Do you find it hard to type with webbed hands?
CR1 was 'unreliable' until RO told Thatcher that it would only guarantee levels of availability if the MOD bought the levels of spares recommended and scrimped upon at the point of procurement.
Said levels of spares were procured and the 'unreliable' CR1 bettered its 'much better' American counterparts across the campaign.
I suspect - cue more frantic posting by some - that the truth sits somewhere in the middle.
The point remains that we're short of rotary-wing capacity and if the asset we have is fragile - for whatever reason - over-hammering it for a lack of capacity/airframe numbers isn't going to end well.
Either resource it, or complement it with something else.
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The point remains that we're short of rotary-wing capacity and if the asset we have is fragile - for whatever reason - over-hammering it for a lack of capacity/airframe numbers isn't going to end well.
Either resource it, or complement it with something else.
A double-edged sword. I can think of at least one organisation where fear of telling the person at the top resulted in a 'Yes' culture and real problems.A propos of nothing, I’d observe that there were several areas where things were drifting or rubbish until Thatcher took an interest herself - the most spectacular being her threat to go up to Leeds and run the Ripper inquiry herself if the local constabulary didn’t get its act together.
It’s almost as though people were scared of her and found spending money they’d scrimped upon, or allocating resources correctly to put things right was much the preferable option to having to explain themselves to her... (see that minor figure President R Reagan and his terror at having to explain why he’d invaded Grenada without her permission).
Arguably, with over 100 lift helicopters (70 or so in the forward fleet), the UK is not short of lift - particularly given the way FCF is evolving.Yes, we are indeed desperately short of medium lift. See all the grey Junglies backfilling, another 20 cabs are needed.
And so, the RN will grit its teeth and plod on, hoping the FVL programme gets a nip on so they get ordered something bright, shiney and new.
Wot? ...like the ones that fly out of Mildenhall?Arguably, with over 100 lift helicopters (70 or so in the forward fleet), the UK is not short of lift - particularly given the way FCF is evolving.
What it is short of are special mission helicopters, particularly those that can operate at range from the parent platform, stay there for a decent time, carry enough weapons to definitively conclude an engagement and support enough mission specialists to do the job properly.
That is a requirement that unmanned platforms won't fulfill any time soon. Nor are there multiple off the shelf platforms to do that.
No. What naval helicopters do that isn't "lift".Wot? ...like the ones that fly out of Mildenhall?
Arguably, with over 100 lift helicopters (70 or so in the forward fleet), the UK is not short of lift - particularly given the way FCF is evolving.
What it is short of are special mission helicopters, particularly those that can operate at range from the parent platform, stay there for a decent time, carry enough weapons to definitively conclude an engagement and support enough mission specialists to do the job properly.
That is a requirement that unmanned platforms won't fulfill any time soon. Nor are there multiple off the shelf platforms to do that.
None of which will do ASW or AEW/MASC. Special mission isn't just for special people.16 extended range MH-47’s will be with us shortly
None of which will do ASW or AEW/MASC. Special mission isn't just for special people.
FoCNeed more cabs, Photex doesn't want more Merlins, but the only answer that approaches the requirement is Merlin.
If only the 60R was capable of meeting the requirement for ASW. Having a dipping sonar and being able to carry a torpedo is not necessarily meeting the requirement.buy of SH-60 Romeo as standard ASW/ASuW helo
You forgot how we'd be getting a big fleet of ESKV-22s for free, with all the spares and support we need, because reasons...
Didn't forget it, just didn't bother with it as it isn't real or relevant.You forgot how we'd be getting a big fleet of ESKV-22s for free, with all the spares and support we need, because reasons...
Ah... I see.No. What naval helicopters do that isn't "lift".