So if I understood correctly, this was a fixed price contract for 25 x A400M to be delivered starting anytime soon - 2011?
Now, our friends in industry - and not BAES for once - got a few sums wrong and are going to lose a packet of money. And they're running late due to unforeseen circumstances - like;
(i) Certification paperwork not done for engines
(ii) Has different engineering requirements to a passenger jet
(iii) We can't manage A380
Ah.
So, let's pick the correct response:
(A) Bin the order, get our money back and buy C-17, C-130J and CH-47 [
]
(B) Bin the order, get our money back and use the dosh to fill the hole in the EP post PR09 [
]
(C) Recognise that lift is an essential precondition for expeditionary warfare, bin the order, get our money back, add it to some extra cash from the Treasury and buy C-17, C-130J and CH-47F/G [
]
(D) Stay put, accept a 32% cost increase and fund it by cutting the number of airframes and accept the delay whilst we flog aircraft on well past their revised OSD. [
]
And the winner is......
D!
Well done Bob and MoD....
S41