RAF to get another 16x chinooks

[Phoon]

Goodbye RAF Benson then.....

All Chinooks will be concentrated at Odiham most likely.

[TonyO]

No new airframes in Puma upgrade, just refurbishment, new engines and avionics. No evidence to suggest that the new Wokkas will replace the Pumas...or should that be Pumps?

[POL]

I thought Puma made trainers? Or sneakers, if you must..?

[TonyO]

I thought Puma made trainers? Or sneakers, if you must..?

But did Puma make Pumps, like these?



Did you ever have to wear these Chris?

[Agent K]

Surely the Puma and Chinook fulfil different requirements, the Puma more versatile for inner city and constricted work (often special forces), and a Chinook can't replace a Puma without losing this capability?

Re use of English, I've never quite understood why we can't all aspire to a common language with a good level of correct spelling and grammar, and check what we post. It's not too much to ask, surely?

[TonyO]

Goodbye RAF Benson then.....

All Chinooks will be concentrated at Odiham most likely.

But there are now Chinooks at Benson because they have run out of room at Odiham.

[PeteHemsley]

Goodbye RAF Benson then.....

All Chinooks will be concentrated at Odiham most likely.

But there are now Chinooks at Benson because they have run out of room at Odiham.

Are you certain about that? I'm sure the RAF released that Chinooks were to move to Benson in the long run to keep all DHC at one station?

[TonyO]

From the RAF Benson website - https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation ... af-benson/

RAF Benson in South Oxfordshire is a support helicopter main operating base working within the Joint Helicopter Command.

RAF Benson is home to two front-line Puma HC2 helicopter squadrons, and one Operational Conversion Unit, flying a mix of Puma HC2 and Chinook HC4 helicopters.

RAF Benson is also home to the civilian National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance which operate 24 hours a day.

[Agent K]

Goodbye RAF Benson then.....

All Chinooks will be concentrated at Odiham most likely.

But there are now Chinooks at Benson because they have run out of room at Odiham.

Are you certain about that? I'm sure the RAF released that Chinooks were to move to Benson in the long run to keep all DHC at one station?

It's a fairly recent move due to congested airspace at Odiham not compatable for initial/conversion training and operational requirements. I've seen nothing afterwards about an expensive and backwards relocate?

[Motley]

That would be 28 Sqn at Benson, joint Chinook and Puma OCU

[Davef68]

From memory, the RAF want to maintain a mix of support types beyond the Puma 2025 OSD. What is likely to replace the Puma post OSD is interesting - AW149 might be one option, or what the US decides as it's UH60 replacement

[Phoon]

But there are now Chinooks at Benson because they have run out of room at Odiham.

Are you certain about that? I'm sure the RAF released that Chinooks were to move to Benson in the long run to keep all DHC at one station?

It's a fairly recent move due to congested airspace at Odiham not compatable for initial/conversion training and operational requirements. I've seen nothing afterwards about an expensive and backwards relocate?

Joint Helicopter Command operates from 6 MOB - RNAS Culdrose, RNAS Yeovilton, AAC Wattisham, AAC Middle Wallop, RAF Benson and RAF Odiham, along with detachments at Aldergrove in the UK. These airfields represent a significant chunk of the current Defence Estates active airfields. The plan of JHC was to combine assets and organisation, operating from this many airfields in the current defence climate is simply unsustainable. I'd expect inside the next ten years these establishments to have been halved or two closed as an absolute minimum.

[TonyO]

There is talk of transferring the Apache community to Boscombe Down, and closing Wattisham, focusing much of the helicopter fleet around the South of England.

Which JHC helicopters operate from Culdrose?

[MRTT]

None, as far as I'm aware.

[Agent K]

None.

[bizfreeq]

RN fleet helicopters don't come under JHC so nothing from JHC is based at Culdrose

[Agent K]

Are RN Wildcat part of JHC?

[Phoon]

My Mistake - only the Yeovilton Merlins come under JHC - It still means we have to many airfields for service helicopter basing though.

[Agent K]

Given that Benson, I believe houses the simulators, controllers and logistics aspects of the Chinook operations then if as you suggest one of the bases were to close might it not be Benson?

Pure idle speculation however, and given the fact that:

- more Chinooks aren't a Puma replacement and that I believe the army requirement/aspiration is for a medium lift Puma/NH90 type equivalent for the replacment type,
- the need that sent the OCU to Benson in the first place will not have changed,

then maybe things will stay as is?
-

[bizfreeq]

Are RN Wildcat part of JHC?

847NAS are as far as I'm aware