11:58 am - Wednesday
UK government to purchase more Chinooks
London, UK - To strengthen its fleet in Afghanistan
(WAPA) - London's government would be close to fall under the pressure concerning a lack of helicopters in Afghanistan, that has been blamed for being at the root of soldiers' deaths besides of putting the lives of several others at risk. For this reason the upcoming defense budget might include a GBP1 billion financing to purchase 30 new Boeing Chinook heavy lift helicopters.
However, there are some problems. First of all is not yet very clear where the funds for a similar operation would be taken from, if cut from other defense programs or drawn on the treasury reserve; it will be very hard to convince the American manufacturer Boeing to produce the UK helicopters within the next two years, putting them ahead of their US orders; finally, some disagree that the Chinook would be the right aircraft, believing that smaller helicopters, carrying less soldiers in a single vehicle, would make transfers less dangerous. (Avionews)
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Direttore Clara Moschini