If we are talking about a twin engine turbo prop type to operate in the Falklands, out of the MPA available I wouldn’t be looking at a Jetstream variant. It is not a bad idea especially as I see things getting a bit more tense when oil and gas start pumping.

In that scenario I would argue that the best solution is tendering to industry for a turnkey lease solution. Something like a Dash-8 or ATR-72 MPA, nice cheap to operate regional turboprops that have a number of companies offering solutions. Another thing this turn key MPA asset should not be an RAF or RN opperated type, far more logically it should be a Falkland Islands Government asset. Operating under the banner of a coastguard associated with fisheries protection and the FIDF.

In that scenario there might even be logic operating them out of Stanley rather then MPA.

For example Cobham provide the Dash-8 for the Australian Coastguard, I bet they would bid to supply such a turnkey solution:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEG0_gRbNBk
http://www.cobham.com.au/mission.htm
From the inside with some pumping sounds 😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nibgpHBkrog

I totally understand what you are saying but I feel the MPA capability should stay MOD and if Searchwater 2000 is used the aircraft could double as a AEW platform in time of conflict I would also say I am not a fan of the ATR-72 but that’s just me :diablo:

I would guess the Jetstream were replaced by king Airs for a reason.

The 26 Jetstream T1s were in services from 1972 and replaced by King airs in 2003 as all at was needed was a new multi engine type for training the Jetstream 41 is a much later and bigger airframe with the last ones off the line in 1999 and as you can see it has had some type to task work done and as a low cost option I feel it could work well when run along side the Navys program and when you don’t want the cost of bigger more costly MPA for say around the Falklands

Here is a possible in house cheap and quick fix to UK MPA problem Bae Jetstream 41 MPA. Fit this air frame out with Searchwater 2000 to the same standard as the Sea King ASaC7 or Future (FOAEW) program with pilots being trained in the First place by Bae and rear crew operators under going training with the Royal Navy . This could see air frames permitting the first aircraft in service in less than two years as aircrew and operator training could be carried out at the same time as the air frames are being fitted out. Plus as the navy already have the simulators which when upgraded for (FOAEW) could incorporate this type would mean less on going costs as the same simulator would cover both types

Hong Kong Government Jetstream 41 MPA

with 12 solo victories and 4 shared Lydia Litvyak was a x2 ace and only one of two female aces

I’d quite like to put forward the Victor

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Moggy

What a honey