GT, depends which way you look at it. It is already 10 years late, so what is another year, if it is safer to enter service a little later than the revised plan.
You have heard the point of view across the floor. "let's UOR some Flight Deck Armour after it enters service."
MRA4 is being "belatedly rushed into service," that is why I used the word belated. Planned testing has been reduced and any modification that would delay entry is simply not being considered. Any of the IPT lot posting here should take a look across the Atlantic and see how the Americans do it. Survivability is built into the core design. It is incoherent and dangerous to do otherwise.
"BAe are being pressured to get MRA4 into service pronto because the RAF need the capability... (with a corresponding reduction in development testing no less.... & which part of the world is MRA4 is destined for.....?
Without armour or fuel tank protection..."
Last edited by nigegilb; 8th November 2007 at 12:34.