UK House of Commons Defence Committee, The changes being made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to its support of RAF front line aircraft – only four years after the establishment of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) as a trading fund – are contributing to a period of unnecessary turbulence and uncertainty in aviation logistics provision, says the Commons Defence Committee in a report released today, 18 January 2006.
MoD plans to transfer support for fast jets (Harrier GR9 and Tornado GR4) from DARA St Athan, South Wales to RAF Main Operating Bases while support for rotary wing aircraft (helicopters) will be moved to DARA Fleetlands, Hampshire. The Committee concludes that the new arrangements are inconsistent and will not stand the test of time.
The new arrangements for support carry risks: the long term sustainability of efficiency programmes; potential over-dependency on industry, and the capability of the RAF's new support processes to meet surge demands.
In the light of allegations of problems with the Harrier programme, the Committee recommends an independent audit and, if necessary, a delay to the Tornado changes to allow the lessons to be taken into account.
The MPs say that these changes to aircraft support -soon after the creation of DARA – suggest that either the original decision to establish DARA was unsound or the recent decisions regarding its future are misjudged.
Prospects for the DARA St Athan site, including the recently completed
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