The most recent assumed out-of-service dates for each helicopter are shown in the following table. These dates have not changed since this information was given in the MOD memorandum provided to the House of Commons Defence Committee in November 2008. Where a life extension programme is planned to extend the out of service date of a helicopter but has not yet been approved at Main Gate, the resulting extended OSD is set out in brackets.
Any Main Gate decision to invest in the modernisation or enhancement of existing aircraft will need to be taken in a through life context, recognising the relative priorities within the whole Defence Programme.
The proposed adjustments in our planning assumption for out-of-service dates have resulted from work conducted during the Future Rotorcraft Capability programme and the 2008 planning round.
Aircraft type/mark Current planned OSDs Comments Agusta 109 2009 It is expected these aircraft will be replaced during 2009 by four EC 365N3s Apache 2030 We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft (eg to address obsolescence and meet emerging requirements) during the next decade, in order to sustain its service life up to 2030 Chinook Mk2 2015 (2040) We expect to have to invest further in these aircraft (eg to address obsolescence, meet emerging requirements and extend the planned date of their retirement to 2040) during the next decade, although no investment decisions have yet been made Chinook Mk2a 2025 (2040) As above Gazelle 2012 Where there is an enduring requirement for the capability currently provided by Gazelle we are exploring arrangements based on leased aircraft Lynx Mk3 2013 It is expected that these aircraft will be replaced by the Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) variant of Future Lynx from 2015 Lynx Mk8 2015 As above Lynx Mk7 2013 It is expected that these aircraft will be replaced by the Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH) variant of Future Lynx from 2014 Lynx Mk9 2013 As above Merlin Mk1 2029 We are currently preparing to upgrade these aircraft through the Merlin Mk1 Capability Sustainment Programme Merlin Mk3 2030 We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft (eg to address obsolescence and meet emerging requirements) during the next decade, in order to sustain its service life up to 2030 Merlin Mk3a 2030 As above Puma 2012 (2022) We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft to extend the planned date of its retirement to 2022, when it is expected that the capability provided by these aircraft will be replaced by the Future Medium Helicopter programme Sea King Mk3/3a 2017 It is expected that the capability provided by these aircraft will be replaced by a joint PFI service with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Sea King Mk4 2012 (2018) We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft to extend the planned date of their retirement to 2018, where upon it is expected that the capability provided by these aircraft will be replaced by the Future Medium Helicopter programme Sea King Mk6c 2010 — Sea King Mk5 2017 It is expected that the capability provided by these aircraft will be replaced by a joint PFI service with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Sea King Mk7 2018 (2022) We expect to have to invest further in this aircraft to extend the planned date of their retirement to 2022