The Ministry of Defence has responded to questions raised in Parliament regarding the environmental impact of military helicopters, particularly in areas of high helicopter air traffic.
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment the MOD has made of the impact of various helicopter models on air quality.
Morgan’s question specifically referred to the Sea King, Westland Wessex, Puma, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. She sought clarity on whether the MOD had evaluated their contribution to air pollution in areas with significant helicopter operations.
In her response, Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, clarified that two of the models referenced are no longer in service.
“Neither the Sea King nor Westland Wessex remain in service with the Ministry of Defence. They were retired in 2018 and 2003 respectively,” Eagle stated.
Turning to the current fleet, Eagle addressed the concerns surrounding the Puma and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, assuring that no significant risks to air quality have been identified.
“We do not believe that there is an increased risk to air quality from Puma and Chinook helicopters,” Eagle said.
However, she acknowledged the importance of monitoring potential emissions-related risks and announced a new initiative to better understand and manage helicopter exhaust emissions.
“The department has begun work to initiate a programme of engine exhaust emissions substance monitoring for in-service helicopters in accordance with Health and Safety Executive approved methods,” Eagle explained.
This programme aims to ensure the MOD meets safety and environmental standards while maintaining the operational readiness of its rotary-wing fleet.
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Lots of research went into that question then🙄
Hilarious! Fucking Wessex? Just goes to show how fucking daft and disconnected from defence our politicians are.
Pathetic.
Of all the things the MOD has to worry about that is here biggest problem?
I thought the MOD was short of money, vanity project to me
What a cretinous question.
What a load of WOKE Lib Dem crap, as if the skint run down MOD has not got enough to do with pointless leftie questions about utter nonsense topics. Lets chuck some money at it and keep the tree huggers happy. Why not do an impact survey on how many leave the Armed Forces each year? or why have got next to no tube Artillery left.
Any way it will all be fine soon no Puma helicopters after next year, problem solved.
Exactly. “Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire….” NOTE: It’s always the white woke females doing this stuff. They almost brought America to her knees but thankfully common sense prevailed. But sadly UK might have 5-6 more years of this, you need a British Trump to wake everyone up to the realities of life, not leftist utopian ideals.
The issue is that most stupid British people have never read Gibbons “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” the same issues afflicted this empire…debasing of the currency, mass immigration, debauchery, lack of faith, and lack of martial spirit, and a focus on the superfluous. I would add that your identification of woke, upper middle class and middle class white women as one of the issues is spot on. However, I would go much broader and say that those that voted Labour, Conservative, and Liberal democrat are the ones that need to look themselves in the… Read more »
I am sure that Russia is also carefully considering the emissions from its armed forces. In fact, I am sure that’s why they have temporarily taken Admiral Kuznetsov out of service.
And China. Ship production will be decreased to improve air quality. (not)
when we have a ferry in Scotland that takes ten years to build 2015-2025…then you know we are screwed…
Don’t think they would want to monitor CR2 below 5Degrees lol
With all the helicopters their cutting, the emissions will go down.
Yes, 31 helicopters to be retired. That’s a lot.
Yes but they are all being replaced.
Only confirmed order at the moment 14 Chinooks,care to elaborate on what the others are?
Leonardo seem to have the contract to replace the Puma with the AW149.
Leonardo appear to have the contract to replace the Puma with the AW149.
Since when? Where is FMH?
There is an article in March on the MOD website that 14 H-47 (ER) are being bought
Wetland Wessex and Sea King!!!!
There’s only two Wessex (and a handful of Sea King) flying the UK and they are privately owned….
A poorly researched and pointless question….
Indeed. Trying to logically see her thought process, and thinking back, Wessex was used at 2 FTS, which was at Shawbury training heli pilots. But that was a long time ago now. I don’t recall if Sea King was used there.
Whatever, very poor stuff.
If they keep cutting the fleet they can announce its aimed at cutting emissions.
seriously? is this money well spent for such a small fleet
not a climate change denier, but it’s bit ridiculous when the UK contributes less than 1% of total CO2 emissions worldwide. meanwhile the biggest polluters don’t even care and many are wealthier than the UK ie (China,US, India). why are countries that pollute more and make money from selling fossil fuels don’t contribute to the climate change fund ie Rusia, Iran, Mexico, and Brazil which is cutting down the rainforest in order to produce more agricultural goods with that lame deal Mercosur
European self flagellatilon reallly doesn’t make sense.
The UK actually contributes a whopping great big 0.6% of CO2 emissions…However, the lefties believe because of our historical CO2 emissions we should bankrupt ourselves. Just to put this in context 1 year of CO2 emissions from China is equivalent to the entire CO2 emissions that the UK produced from 1850-1950…puts that in context doesn’t it… The UK is heading for bankruptcy….at a rapid pace…too many shirkers and not enough workers….plus moronic net zero policies.
Really enjoying the running joke of the MoD always finding new excuses to spend money on studies and reports
It is a racket.
The Universities, now many more than both of them, produce a lot of people with dubious usefulness. That people need jobs.
And ‘The Woke Idiot of the Year Award’ goes to……
Haha.
Really? You have got to be kidding! Put a muzzle on such ridiculous requests. It’s honestly laughable and also sad. Well, I suppose being a member of a party with zero future and contributions, unless we go way back to pre-WWI, there’s not much else she can do except devise stupid questions and waste precious resources obtaining the details. How about pushing the Government to postponing the disposal of the Chinooks the MoD was planning to retire?
While I agree with the sentiment, there may be a bit of logic behind her question.
Shropshire is, I think, one of the designated LFA, Low Flying Areas, and RAF Shawbury is located there, home to tri service heli training. I believe Tern Hill is also used as a RLG.
So maybe she’s responding to concerns from some of her constituents.
Sea King and Wessex though? So many clueless people.
It is to do with some claims regarding health effects of air quality.
I think (I may be totally wrong as my helicopter knowledge is based on being a passenger and chatting to crew) they use bleed bypass air for the cabin so when a seal goes a load of toxic gubbins ends up in the breathable air.
SB yes that was my first take, poor cabin air quality had health consequences for past raf crews on chinooks
Thanks. I still read and understand it differently though with such as – “environmental impact of military helicopters, particularly in areas of high helicopter air traffic.” which to me indicates the environment outside, not the crews within. If the aircraft has an air quality issue areas of “high traffic” would not matter, be it a single heli of twenty, and we’d be hearing from the MAA. And “clarity on whether the MOD had evaluated their contribution to air pollution in areas with significant helicopter operations” which again brings me to the point earlier that RAF Shawbury is in that area,… Read more »
Most helicopters use an electrically driven air pump for cabin “air conditioning” A lot also include electric heating via the air pump. However, some of the older designs such as the Chinook, have a heater that uses Jet fuel ie F34. In generally bleed air from turboshafts used in helicopters is not used for cabin heating these days.
When sat in the back of a Chinook, you can definitely taste the fuel in the cabin, with the heater on!
I want compensation and reparations for all the imagined harm I may have come to because of time spent on a Wessex. That will of course have to be linked to payments from my time spent drilling on hard concrete. The problem being blisters and sore feet from being forced to wear DMS boots…..
LOL. Unbelieveable.
So she’s concerned about environmental issues from helicopters? I’m sure she will be looking how to reduce emissions from a nuclear bomb. You couldn’t make this up.
I’m more concerned about what comes out the front of a weapon than comes out rhe back in war.
I thought MOD was supposed to be finding savings in order to re-invest in actual warfighting capability. Obviously I was mistaken. I wonder how much money our ‘peer competitors’ spend on worrying about the emissions from their weapons platforms.
The lady certainly did her research before asking that question. Wonder who is pulling her strings? Total claptrap. End of rant.
I looked, not a lot to go on on Wiki. I was half expecting the usual CND, pacifist background.
Maybe just a few disgruntled locals.
And I also found an article on her complaining to the MoD about the poor state of accommodation at Tern Hill, which is fair comment.
Now that, is bollox !!!
So is this in regards to the health of the crews …in which case fair nough…or the general climate in which case ….well…I’ll leave it there …
Helen Morgan appears to be cognitively challenged.
All I can say, with regards to this Endeavour of National Self-Destructive Insanity is that it honestly stinks of the Parasitic WEF.