The UK has mothballed a quarter of its AgustaWestland-Boeing WAH-64 Apache Longbow AH.1 helicopters following the end of combat operations in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to IHS Jane's on 19 March.In January, 16 of the British Army's 66 Apaches (67 were procured, but one was lost in an accident in Helmand Province) were placed into storage, leaving a force of 50 helicopters now operating out of Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk.
"The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review and 2012 Planning Round identified the need to adjust the Apache aircraft numbers in line with the drawdown of operations in Afghanistan. With the end of combat operations, the fleet was adjusted to 50 in January 2015," said an MoD spokesperson.
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That article is very different to another 'janes' piece which gives the options apart from transfering engines and sensors. The following article shows why we payed through the nose for the last batch of Apaches. AgustaWestland are trying to make us do the same again.
ReplyDeleteCan we afford to protect jobs in Yeovil, whilst paying double the price of the aircraft to do so.
http://www.janes.com/article/49845/uk-apache-replacement-held-up-by-agustawestland-bbc-report-states