Unfortunately the rumour about Arfur Daley Old Planes plc at Cambridge trying to flog some old TriShaws (but with pods) sems to be gathering ground. But there again, one thing about the FSTA programme is that, because they've gone so far down the road of PFI, there would be a legal objection from the genuine contestants to anyone else trying to get into the competition so long after the closure date - surely? It's not the 'Public Sector Comparator' which the MoD must provide, is it?
The last thing we'd really want is yet another aged aircraft programme facing us in a couple of years.
Face it - MoD needs to secure financial assistance to buy the aircraft it needs for the job. But because all the top brass are all ex-fighter people, it's unlikely that the FSTA will get as much support as the absurdly expensive and hugely late Eurofighter!