Further to the Sea Sprite drama, it now appears that a party sub-contracted to supply the avionics failed to deliver.

[Kaman's senior vice president Russell Jones] said the delays began when a subcontractor selected to provide a complex guidance system for the Seasprites went out of business.

Why did we buy them in the first place? The helicopters were to be deployed on a new class of Offshore Patrol Vessel which we were acquiring along with Malaysia, which required a very lightweight helicopter. Malaysia pulled out of the program, and the OPV was cancelled, but not the helicopter. Why was it not cancelled? Rumours of an impending freeze on defence spending prompted senior Navy bods to get the project approved in a hurry, before the department of finance had a chance to tighten the purse strings. That hasty decision seems to be coming back to haunt Navy, although whoever it was that signed the contracts seems to be keeping a low profile.

But there are now rumours of an even more serious problem. Cracks have started appearing around the airframes.



Thank you Hugh Jarse, wherever you are...