| Synopsis: |
This report examines the progress made since the inception of the Joint Helicopter Command in 1999, set up to deliver and sustain battlefield helicopters and air assault forces. Battlefield helicopters are a key capability in fulfilling the majority of the Ministry of Defence's objectives, they contribute to a wide range of roles and are integral to manoeuvre warfare. Significant progress has been made in improving efficiency, harmonising operating and engineering standards, and in flying training. But the Command recognises that it is some 38 per cent short of its required battlefield helicopter fleet, a shortage not expected to be overcome until 2017. The report details the improvements and the problems encountered in, for example, procurement, and it identifies areas where further enhancements can be made: training; airworthiness; rank structure; learning from procurement lessons. |