14.1 |
Military equipment (post-conflict)
be bought
from other countries, and the programme intended to make the
eight
Chinook Mk3
airworthy.
In 1995,
the MOD ordered 14 Chinook Mk2a helicopters from Boeing: six were
retained
as Mk2 but
eight were modified as Mk3 to meet a longstanding requirement for
special
operations.571
Those eight
helicopters cost £259m and were delivered to the MOD
in
December
2001.
Although
Boeing had met its contractual obligations, the avionics software
fell short of UK
military
airworthiness standards and the helicopters were left in storage
while solutions
were
considered.
In 2004,
the Public Accounts Committee described it as “one of the worst
examples of
equipment
procurement” that it had seen.
Following
increases in troop numbers to Afghanistan, the MOD started looking
for ways to
increase
its helicopter capacity. As a result, in March 2007, Mr Browne
took the decision
to “revert”
the Chinooks back to the Mk2 standard to make them available for
use in
operations
as quickly as possible.
In March
2009, the Public Accounts Committee described that decision as
having been
made in
haste in “a matter of days”.572
The MOD did
not consult Boeing about the
risks,
costs and timescales which ultimately led to a 70 percent increase
in the cost of
the
project. The final cost for the helicopters on entering service
would be £422m, or
£52.5m each.
The first
successful test flight of one of the modified Chinooks was
completed in
1086.
On 10 October,
Gen Granville‑Chapman wrote to AM Nickols with actions from
a
meeting
with Mr Browne and Lord Drayson the previous
day.574
The focus
of the meeting
was
helicopter availability in Afghanistan, following a recent visit
from Lord Drayson. Iraq
was not
mentioned in the minute but Gen Granville‑Chapman
concluded:
“There is a
wider capability point emerging about the extent to which
capability
requirements
are being anticipated in theatre and the right levers are being
pulled.
I shall
be tasking CJO separately.”
1087.
That point is
addressed in a note from Lt Gen Houghton on 27 October
and
is also
addressed earlier in this Section with the consideration of how
capability gaps
were
articulated.
571
National
Audit Office, Chinook
Helicopters, 4 June
2008, HC 512.
572
Eighth
Report from the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2008‑09,
Ministry of
Defence:
Chinook Mk 3,
HC 247,
recommendation 2 and paras 7 and 9.
573
Boeing,
7 July
2009, Modified
Boeing Chinook Mk3 Successfully Completes 1st Test
Flight.
574
Minute
Granville‑Chapman to ACDS(Ops), 10 October 2006, ‘Helicopter
Availability’.
185