Dear Red Line,
See your point about where was it announced there was to be more than 6... but consider, as recently as 2005 there wasn't a public requirement to keep the 4 we leased in 2001 - and were supposed to return in 2008!
C-17 was temporarily acquired as a short term strat airlift (STSA)solution in 2001 to fill a gap (forecast in 1996-97) caused by A400M delays! Funny how nothing changes much.
Perhaps a more apt question is ....why do we still insist on a requirement for 25 A400M ....now, if there was to be a program tradeoff.......with fund transfer to C-17 & C130J......hmmmm. But then, rats! that wouldn't meet the 'Hug a Euro' test.
Moosejaw
