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MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

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FD2
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MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

#1 Post by FD2 » Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:44 pm

The sad state of MOD Procurement Executive - strikes again. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... ed-flying/

This in the middle of an investigation into MOD PE's dreadful performance is taking place!

For those who are stuck with the paywall:


Helicopters worth £35m mothballed before flying a single minute


MoD accused of wastefulness after it was decided that the Airbus H135 aircraft would not enter service
By Danielle Sheridan, Defence Editor 25 March 2023 • 6:11pm
H135 P.png
H135 P.png (182.89 KiB) Viewed 402 times


The Ministry of Defence has been accused of “wasteful procurement” after five helicopters worth more than £35 million were mothballed before flying a single minute.

In January last year, the MoD selected the Airbus H135 helicopter to replace Gazelle helicopters, which are due to be retired in March 2024, in the Army Air Corps.

While the first H135 was delivered to the MoD in October 2022, the following month it was decided that the five H135s, which cost £35.28 million, were no longer required for their procured purpose.

All five have been mothballed pending a decision on their future. The helicopters never entered the in-service phase, and are yet to have flown at all.

It is understood that the MoD is withholding information about the reason for its decision to mothball the helicopters because any disclosure would “prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces”.

When asked last month when the decision had been made that the light utility H135s would not enter service, Alex Chalk, the procurement minister, told the Commons: “A decision is yet to be made on whether the aircraft will remain in defence.”
Tories investigate MoD procurement

It comes as the MoD is investigated over its procurement process in an attempt to get to the bottom of repeated failings.

The inquiry, being led by Mark Francois, will examine MoD failures to spend hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money properly going back at least two decades.

Recent procurement controversies include the beleaguered £5.5 billion Ajax programme, which the public accounts committee described as being “flawed from the outset” and said the department had “once again made fundamental mistakes” in planning and managing a major equipment programme.

Meanwhile, a report last year by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, which evaluates the Government’s major spending plans, found that in 52 projects under way at the MoD, worth £194.7 billion, only three were given a green rating that suggests “successful delivery appears highly likely”.

Labour claims that, since 2010, the Conservatives have “wasted at least £15 billion of taxpayers’ money through MoD mismanagement of defence procurement”.

Kevin Jones, a Labour MP who sits on the Defence Sub Committee, told The Telegraph: “At a time when defence budgets are tight, this is yet another example of unexplained waste by the Ministry of Defence under its current leadership. The Government needs to come clean about why these decisions were taken and when.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman insisted the purchase of the helicopters “was not wasteful procurement”, adding: “Operational circumstances changed and these H135s were no longer required for their procured role.”

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Re: MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

#2 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Mar 26, 2023 9:20 am

Had a pop up yesterday, a second Wave class RFA and survey and MCM vessels being paid off to free up manpower. I can't remember the buzz words but it's along the lines of a change of direction rather than a like for like replacement.
Smacks of the RAF Capability Holiday.
Gone are the days when a new system is brought in at the same time as its preceding type is slowly withdrawn.

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Re: MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

#3 Post by 4mastacker » Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:19 pm

A Ministry of Defence spokesman insisted the purchase of the helicopters “was not wasteful procurement”, adding: “Operational circumstances changed and these H135s were no longer required for their procured role.”
That smacks of a new face arriving in post, not liking what their predecessor had set in train and deciding to change everything. Come tourex, the next incumbent in place will follow the pattern.
It's always my fault - SWMBO

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Re: MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

#4 Post by Boac » Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:22 pm

I'm sure Ukraine could use them?

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Re: MOD Procures and then Stores Helicopters

#5 Post by FD2 » Sun Mar 26, 2023 6:17 pm

If they are not suitable then I guess they will have to keep the Gazelles going longer to cover the gap before some suitable replacements are found.

I wonder what exactly is unsuitable about the H135s and how much they will get sold for, set against what was paid for them.

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