how much cheaper would if have been if 3? Hercules had refuelling capability with the ability to conduct maritime patrol around the Falklands?
Seriously?
Maintain the entire spares, engineering, training and other support in the FI for 3 aircraft? Presumably they crew and engineers would have to be permantely based there without a UK based fleet for roulement? Would they have to install a sim for training?
Hmm, but then the FJ crew would need to qualify to AAR from a KC-130 before deployment. Back to a UK fleet again.
Face it, once the decision was made to dispose of the C-130 fleet that was it and Atlas/Voyager is the only solution.