It has been claimed that, where the Royal Air Force's new Chinook HC.3 Chinook transport helicopters are concerned, the MoD is guilty of a "gold standard cock-up."

These words came from Edward Leigh, chairman of the commons public accounts committee, who has described how, while these new helicopters, eight of them, were "languishing", British forces deployed in Afghanistan had been in need of new aircraft.

The eight Chinook HC.3s have not yet entered RAF service but, according to the MoD, will do so in 2009.

Operational Deployment

The Chinooks are incapable of being operated below 500 feet and, even then, only in favourable conditions - a situation that has precluded their operational deployment.

According to the National Audit Office, the cost of the Chinooks has skyrocketed in the seven years since they were delivered.

Night-Vision Capability

In 2007, it was announced that, in order to accelerate their entry into front line service, the HC.3s would be downgraded to HC.2 configuration. Simultaneously, more sophisticated avionics were added to a number of the HC.2s, giving them a night-vision capability and, thus, allowing them to perform the missions intended for the newer Chinooks.

However, the NAO said, this temporary solution had, itself, been the source of some concern after it became apparent that the night-vision equipment impeded visibility during the day.

British Military Helicopters in Afghanistan

Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Procurement, said that the modification of Chinook HC.3s to HC.2s was among the MoD's attempts to get an increased British military helicopter presence in Afghanistan.

"The Chinook is the most capable support helicopter in Afghanistan", she said.

"Based on operational need, the reversion project will allow delivery of more Chinooks to theatre in the shortest time-frame. It is one of several steps being taken to increase helicopter lift capability for operations including the acquisition of new state of the art blades for Sea Kings.

"The total amount of flying time for all helicopters, including Chinooks, has increased by a third since March 2007."

Mr Leigh was highly condemnatory when it came to the MoD's actions concerning the Chinook HC.3s.

"The Ministry of Defence's programme to make airworthy the eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters, which it acquired in 2001 for special operations work, has been a gold standard cock-up", he asserted.

"Nearly seven years since they were delivered, the Chinook Mk3s are still languishing in climate-controlled hangers - despite the fact that they are desperately needed on operations in Afghanistan.

"This is a very unhappy state of affairs, made more acute by the knowledge of how much our soldiers in the hostile terrain of Afghanistan need helicopter support."

The MoD placed its original order for these eight new helicopters thirteen years ago, when the total cost was 259 million pounds.

Six years later, delivery occured, but problems have surrounded them ever since and, hence, they have been kept hangered.

According to the National Audit Office, the reversion-to-HC.2-standard-programme is going well, although the associated cost has now leapt to 90 million pounds from 53 million pounds.

Added to this is the cost of upgrading the HC.2s, which is 32 million pounds.

Source - Armed Forces International's Aviation Expert

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