Ah, but Roly, surely you remember that the Aussies
did have a (rather delightful) observer working with the civil serpents at the Brizzle Waterworld?
No doubt her report when she got home was instrumental in the Aussies deciding against the utter nonsense of PFI?
They've decided to buy C-17 and A-330 MRTT whilst the UK MoD, as you say, still hasn't assembled its excreta regarding the FSTA program. For which AirTanker were identified as the preferred bidder over a year ago now....
Can't help but wonder how many mercenaries, sorry, 'Sponsored Reservists' they think they'll be able to recruit, with the airlines snapping up any ME pilot who leaves and applies to them. So, long haul ba or Virgin? Or Brize-MPA and Brize-Basra.....
Best be quick with ordering those A330s - the A300/310 production line will soon closs and the availability of used A310-300s able to be converted to A310MRTTs is becoming a seller's market!