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MoD in £200m blunder over DIY software for Chinooks
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent25.08.09
Military chiefs were today accused of a £200million blunder by trying to design software for Chinook helicopters.
Eight hi-tech aircraft, intended for special forces missions, were ordered from Boeing in 1995 for £259million. But the Ministry of Defence sought to economise on the Mk3s by doing key software itself, according to The Times.
It reported defence insiders as saying: "Boeing told them they would have trouble but the MoD believed it could do it better." It then couldn't design the software.
Boeing's software would have cost about £40million. Five years ago, the MoD sought to negotiate a £215million deal for Mk3s with software. That idea was ditched in 2007 and Boeing was asked to convert the stored helicopters, into transport aircraft.
The MoD says the contract failed to include a software codes request and Boeing declined to pass them on. The bill to convert the Chinooks is expected to be £200million.
Reader views (6)
Deeper and deeper the MoD sinks in the mire. Is there no end to its incompetence? Hopefully Cameron will wield the broadsword on this ministry when he gets in. There must hundreds of unemployables in there including the Minister Ainsworth who can be dumped without any effect on the whole.
- Albert Hall, hove england
Congratulations to The Times for re-running a story that is literally years old. All we do is talk for years about the software problem without actually doing anything about it.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey
I trust that the person who authorised this purchase has been fired for incompetence ??
No - I thought not ......... no wonder our Armed Forces have to fight the MoD as well as any enemies.
- Roger, ENGLAND
Should have written into the contract that ALL firmware and software is owned by the purchaser and not the supplier. These software companies take us all for a ride.
- Billy Hirst, Tbilisi Georgia
The 'codes' could have been reverse engineered, and the software written, but this government brought in laws that made reverse engineering a more expensive proposition for any company undertaking the task, also an occupation tax on the type of computer expert who does this kind of work. The jumping from the original £40million to £215million may appear unfair, but the market conditions had changed, and Boeing are in business to make a profit.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
MOD would not have made the decision to write their own software if somebody had not advised them of the feasability of it in the first place. Who was it? That´s where the incompetence really lies.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands
