Originally Posted by
Rigga
Although the subject is new - unfortunately, the practice isn't! Well before Harriers were scrapped I saw a £6m Harrier PCU test unit sold (in a cupboard) for DM100 to a local farmer...he needed a substantial metal cupboard.
But it's not that simple, is it, it never is.
The engines are 'worth' £bignum
if you have an operating Tornado fleet in need of them.
If you don't, they are 'worth' whatever they might fetch in an auction.
But you can't dump them on the open market because they might end up being used against you or an ally at a later date.
So they're worth scrap.
But you probably can't 'normally' scrap them either because the scrapyard will end up 'losing' them, or some other shenanigans will occur. Or because the manufacturer's contract stipulates that they're a confidential custom design and can't be sold on.
So a bunch of (surplus) perfect engines get expensively and comprehensively destroyed in a secure facility and when we think about it, we all understand why there is no better option.
Of all the wastes of money to get upset about, Tornado engines seems like an odd one. I'd be surprised if the Tornado fleet wasn't #1 or #2 in terms of (recent) combat utilisation, sorties per airframe or whatever metric is applicable. Anyone know for sure?
Want to get worked up? How many attack submarines have we operated between 1950 and today? How many have fired on a target in combat? Don't say they're protecting the missile boats either, that's not what they do. Enjoy! Consider joining CND too - ranting is much more satisfying with others.