�422 Million of tax payers money down the drain.

[Gromit]

A fleet of 8 Chinook helicopters sit in hangars in Britain while our forces in Afghanistan desperately need them.

They have never flown since they were purchased 7 years ago.

Total cost �422 million (and rising)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/fro ntline/2071842/Chinook-fleet-sitting-idle-cost s-andpound422m.html

Your comments welcomed

[jake-the-peg]

Who was the defense procurement minister that ordered these in 1995?

Only for them to be deliverred unable to fly in cloud

Wait for it

Jonathon Aitken

[4GS]

I wonder why they need to fly in cloud when in my limited experience the Special Forces like pilots who 'hedge hop' (15-20 feet above the ground) when driving helicopters. Makes it harder for enemy ground to air missiles to track and hit them and keeps the noise to a minimum.

That said it's a shocking waste of money to keep them sitting idle.

[Booldawg]

Why couldnt the MoD have got this problem rectified by the manufacturers? There must've a warranty agreement.

[jake-the-peg]

Maybe they lost the receipt

[Gromit]

The helicopters delivered were as ordered. There was not a fault and so a warranty would not cover it.

The MoD ordered the wrong thing. As they are built to order, at �32 Million a piece, they cannot be just sent back.

[DarkMajes71c]

sounds prety typical of a situation where government ministeres order the tools for the military instead of the military ordering its own tools.

plain stupid.

[youngmafbog]

I doubt any minister does the ordering as they probably can't tell one end from the other.

The fault lies, as usual, with the civiil service. People are just not held accountable. That perhaps is the fault of the minister although there again I suspect its all hidden in a cloud of 'Sir Humphries'.

[rojash]

Presumably 4GS, they transport them to the locations where they will be hedge-hopping, by carrying them in holdalls?

[4GS]

They get shipped to operational areas rojash, this saves wear and tear on the engines, gears, rotor blades etc