UK Sea Kings redux?

[MarkOttawa]

I don't think this would be tried even in Canada:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/15/nmod15.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_15052006

'MoD cost cuts 'will put troops in peril'
By Thomas Harding and Graeme Wilson
(Filed: 15/05/2006)

The lives of troops will be put at risk if the Ministry of Defence goes ahead with plans to refurbish a fleet of vintage helicopters as a cost-cutting measure, defence sources said yesterday.

Servicemen, already concerned after the shooting down of a Lynx in Basra last week, said that if 30 Sea King helicopters were taken out of mothballs their low speed and poor performance in the desert heat would make them "sitting ducks"...'

See also:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/05/15/dl1501.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/05/15/ixoplead.html

' Lions equipped by dinosaurs
(Filed: 15/05/2006)

Our soldiers are as brave, disciplined and deadly as any in the world. But they are often equipped with old, inappropriate and overpriced kit.

There is some consternation in the ranks about the likely deployment in Afghanistan of 30-year-old Sea King helicopters. The craft were serviceable enough in their day, but they are slow, lack manoeuvrability and are especially bad in the heat.

That the MoD may be obliged to blow the cobwebs off their rotor-blades will not, however, surprise anyone familiar with the dire record of that department...'

Mark
Ottawa

 

[big bad john]

Sea Kings have already been used in Iraq.  I've uploaded a number of photos of RN Sea Kings supporting Royal Marines in Operation Telic 1 through 7.

http://army.ca/cgi-bin/album.pl?photo=Foreign/Operations/dusty.jpg
http://army.ca/cgi-bin/album.pl?photo=Foreign/Operations/seaking_dust.jpg

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

I don't think this would be tried even in Canada

Do recall, before the comparisons with us start, that British helicopters are considerably newer than ours - even if they are, in fact, 30 years old.  We wouldn't be "bringing them back"...we've kept them in service!

 

[Armymatters]

RN Sea Kings also have a bit more power than our Sea Kings. The Rolls Royce Gnome gives over 200 more shp each compared to the General Electric T58-100's in our Sea Kings.