S-G,
If the RAF wanted to save money all they had to do was disconnect the gun lead and not go off on jollies to Akrotiri every summer
It isn't that simple, the issue being more focussed on the support contracts - having a gun installed and not using it is easy, but when you have a support contract with the requirements for supply of ammo, maintenance facilities, spares etc etc, and then you turn round and say 'we don't need a gun' the effects reach further then just not firing it.
So, when the decision was made not to have a gun, the implications were 1) not fitting the gun and dropping the contract for supply and support of the gun, finding a replacement part that had the shape/CofG of a gun or 2) keep then gun but change the supporting contracts to cut costs. Now, if you want to change that set of contracts again, a) there is the commercial aspects of yet another contract change and b) the lead time aspects and costs of putting the support arrangements back in place.
Constantly changing requirements, that is what p!sses industry off, and I can understand why folks like Tarnished get miffed.
sw