How we chortled when the civil serpent talking about FSTA announced "This programme will NOT slip to the right!"
That was sometime last century.
Not long after the time we were told that 'FLA' (which became A400M) was to have an in-service date of 2004....and that the RAF would replace all TriStars and VC10s with '25-30 Multi-role tanker transports'. At a rate of around 4 a/c per year with a 50% fleet achieved in around 2007-8.....
I think there's an old Comet which still runs up at Bruntingthorpe - perhaps that could be refurbished?
There are around 8 A310-300s for sale around the world. Someone should take a serious look at them as interim tanker-transports, now that A400M has been delayed until heaven knows when......