In the corner of a small office at the AgustaWestland (AW) helicopter plant in Yeovil, in the UK, sits a grubby whiteboard covered with coloured buttons and text. It looks like a maths professor’s homework, but the board shows the location and status of every helicopter in Britain’s Merlin fleet around the world.
Twice a day it is updated by the joint military and civilian staff of the Integrated Merlin Operational Support team. When a repair is needed for one of the 70 medium-lift helicopters, the team whirs into action to locate parts, prepare its mechanics and get the helicopter flying again as quickly as possible.
