History suggests that there will always be a last minute scramble to enhance capabilities in the last days before an operation is launched. Who can forget the frantic race to field an expeditionary force to retake the Falkland Islands. Even as the British task force steamed south equipment was being purchased off the shelf and flown out to meet the ships at Ascension Island. One of the most dramatic upgrades was the fitting of SNEB free flight rockets to Army and Royal Marine Gazelle recce Helicopters, this was earned out at sea. All 3 services earned out numerous mods to their respective Heli fleets, the absence of this equipment prior to the balloon going up can be attributed to various factors. Economy as always is a prime variable in defence procurement, witness the current comparison between the cost of the Army's Apache buy and the cost of new hospitals! The other age-old variable is of course, the unexpected; who foresaw the need to field a UK division to liberate Kuwait? Yet again we will have to wait for the 'desertisation' of the Challenger regiments as the cost cutters ruled out another deployment!
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