CAS Technology has moved on immeasurably since the A-stan conflict began. Systems like the latest Strikehawk, ROVER and a new system from Harris RF allow dismounted CAS soldiers the ability to see what a UAV or pod equipped aircraft above sees and even visually communicate (in some cases) by using a stylus on the screen. Effective a dismounted CAS operator can look into a monicle and see exactly what the back seat guy in a Tornado or a Reaper operator in Nevada is seeing on his screen making CAS operations infinitely easier than they were even 5 years ago. Essentially any platform that can be supported over the battlefield and can carry sensors, comms and PGM’s is now a perfectly viable CAS platform.

Could have had if the wars had been funded by additional money, as used to be the norm. Remember 1982? The cost of the war was added to the budget.

The recent policy of paying for wars by cutting strength is highly unusual. It’s also unsustainable, for obvious reasons.

In 1982 the primary focus of the UK Armed Forces was the Soviet Union, in Grand Strategic terms the Argentinians were little more than a rather tiresome side show. The current conflicts are simply (rather nasty and unfortunately in some quarters unexpected) variations of exactly the conflicts that the 1998 SDR was planning for.

It is that variation that makes a new SDR an exceptionally good and long overdue idea: however people on this forum are going to be decidedly disappointed when it does not demand more Typhoons, Destroyers or Main Battle Tanks.

For a number of reasons Merlins or Chinooks are the best option:

1) The issues with integrating new aircraft into the fleet as repeatedly mentioned above, getting base airframes is easy, getting them with fully trained air and ground staff and fitted out with the UK comms and other bespoke systems is quite another

2) Part of the problem has been the diversity of the fleet, buying yet another type is only likely to store problems for the future of the same variety that are currently being experienced.

3) Upgrading helos is fine but on the basis of cost effectiveness one has to be careful, the Lynx that were chosen for the new engines were so because they had the highest number of hours left, whilst the Puma upgrade seems to be pushing the limits rationality.

4) The call seems to have been for heavy lift helicopters more than anything else and both the Chinook and the Merlin fall into this category

BTW: This is the best bit of Marketing Boeing could ever have asked for!