The UK Ministry of Defense is taking flack for eight Chinook helicopters that have reportedly been grounded since they were purchased (8 years ago) due to a software glitch. Sky News reports that the Ministry allegedly tried to save money by writing their own software for the aircraft, reports the Aero-News Network
An MoD spokesperson told The Independent “We have repeatedly admitted we have made errors in the specification of the software package within the contract. This has already been subject of much parliamentary and media comment. Problems with the original procurement of the eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters are well documented. Although the eight aircraft were delivered to specification by the contractor in December 2001, there were capability shortfalls which were largely due to insufficient evidence to demonstrate the avionics software met UK Defence Standards – the Chinook Mk3s featured unique cockpit avionics which were a hybrid of analogue and digital systems.”
The paper also quotes Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey, who said the MoD had showed “disastrous incompetence” in buying military equipment. “Shamefully, it is frontline troops, not ministers, who are paying the real price for this Government’s failures.”
