Tuc
Wow, I cannot type as much as that, it's already been a long week.
The battery contracts would have been let in the same timescale as the main contract. With a 2.5 year lead time from contract let to delivery, any manufacturer would go for off the shelf and available. No time for a development programme, too much risk to await ongoing developments. These would have captured technology at the cost during the time the RFP went out, so probably 1999 ish. Every time you change battery suppliers after that will count as a mod because of the configuration and qualification effort. This also come as at a cost.
I do not deny the users right to get in there and have an opinion. Having been a user, I have a strong opinion on the subject. But again, with such a short flash to bang on the contract, there is no time for long assessments because the production lines have to roll. Standing on the industry side now, that is having your cake and eating it.
There were 2 major problems, the procurement timescale was too short for proper assessment and tailoring and the requirements were not re-visited in sufficient depth between the programmes to put right what was wrong first time round.
Disgree with you about the SA, it was a KUR. Agree with you about the missing aircraft but believe it was predicted to go out of service a couple of years ago.
regards
retard