Originally posted by na grohmiti
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the 139 is perfectly fine for air ambulance/ aid to the civil power stuff but it's purchase really set the AC back in terms of the vision for the units function as part of the wider military
it's not able to be deployed on UN/EU missions as it has no countermeasures fitted and even if it did we didn't buy enough of them for deployments and we don't have the crews to fly them.
So we engage in tokenism yet again; a few nice pics on the defence forces facebook page of aerial gunnery with the GPMG, the occasional lift of a 105, the odd photo op with the wing...
initially many hoped these steps weren't just window dressing but the beginning of building skills to eventually assume a greater support role to the Army
but the air ambulance service has put the tin hat on that dream, as a chopper it's really had no tangible impact on the wider DF ops...no disrespect to the crews who do an amazing job but to me this air ambulance role should have gone to civvy street.
So to answer your question why buy new choppers if they're never going to leave the nest that is the Don and never deploy abroad or operate from a ship?
let them live out their days doing admirable work saving lives and in the mean time hope for someone with a bit of vision to assume office and shake the whole AC up.
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