Subsidy? forget about it!
The manufacturers are meeting the market a lot cheaper than when the subsidy was discussed. I believe the subsidy was meant more for manufacturers to have a critical mass of orders to warrent a production run...remembering at the time, we would have been the first outfit to have 1090ES up and running anywhere in the world as a means of en-route surveillence. AirServices was talking of an order of a couple of thousand basic units to kick start manufacture.
Now that a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Hypothesis has turned into either garbage or fact...the hypothesis put forward by those against has turned into garbage. Cost, Availablity, Australia Only, UAT/VDL instaed of ES, No TSO, "The Spoof"....and the binghi bomb thingo
The last two..if there ever was a risk that could not be mitigated then this rollout would stop in its tracks.
Fact? The equipment I have linked on this thread. Real and available for TSOd fitment...more joining the list every month. If there wasn't a need then this stuff would not be built.....Hold back the tide Francis Methusela...you are about to be drowned out