Originally Posted by
DuckDodgers
So let's break this down further noting that the total is 104 as BS37 (Tranche 2) was Cat 3 and Qty 2 are with BAE for their Test Fleet (Tranche 3). Applying the DT's standard 70/30 approach between forward and sustainment fleets gives a notional 73/31 split. So now remove Qty 6 UK QRA (to enable Q1 thru 3 at both locations) and Qty 4 BFSAI, then the forward fleet is down to say Qty 63 aircraft. On historic trends let us presume 29 Sqn (OCU) utilises Qty 11 ac (reduced due to T1 twin seats scrapped and move of sorties to the sim) and 41 Sqn Qty 4 ac. That leaves just 48 ac for the remaining 7 FLSs (1, II(AC), 3(F), 6, IX, XI, and 12) with say Qty 7-8 ac each. Now factor in both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance which gives us what, say 4-6 ac AVAILABLE per day per squadron. We must not forget that all Qty 40 of the T3 jets will be flowing through the ECRSmk2 upgrade over the coming 4+ years and that both sustained op commitments (SHADER) and Air Policing will drive this number down further.
The question that should be asked is whether the money to fund the ECRSmk2 upgrade is coming out of TyTAN and whether it is that that which was factored in for T1 sustainment until its much later OSD? If not where has that money from within TyTAN gone? Again, I'd expect zero transparency from neither MOD nor industry as they'll hide behind commercial-in-confidence. They then wonder why NOBODY trusts them with public money, even more so when they don't publish the value or details of 9 figure single source contracts awarded by the Air TLB.
Only four jets with the TES, DD? They had six in 2014, and ten in 2019.