01 November 2002
The Ministry of Defence's £3bn contract for a new generation of attack helicopters faces delay, according to a National Audit Office report published this week.
The MoD is buying 67 Apache helicopters through a contract with Westland Helicopters as the cornerstone of the air force's ability to contribute to mobile attack operations.
But the NAO expresses reservations over the performance of key systems on the helicopter, including Hellfire missiles, CRV7 rockets and the Longbow radar system.
Although the MoD is confident it can find solutions by the August 2004 delivery date, the NAO says the full risk of operating the Apache at sea will not be identified until trials in March that year.
The report also notes that some aircraft will have to be stored until trained pilots are available.
'It is a mark of success that the aircraft is being delivered broadly to plan,' said auditor general Sir John Bourn. 'However, it is disappointing that… the helicopters are not expected to provide a brigade-level capability until February 2007.'
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