Just a couple of updates.
Firstly, Vince Cable is calling for an inquiry was to be held into the FSTA contract and it's costs, with industry experts stating that the MOD was being taken to the cleaners.
Cable calls for inquiry into Labour’s rip-off RAF deal
Vince Cable, the business secretary, has demanded an inquiry into a £10.5 billion military aircraft deal that critics claim is costing more than double the going rate.
Cable told The Sunday Times he was seriously concerned about the contract for an RAF tanker jet, which he claimed was part of the Labour government’s “poisoned legacy”. He said a “very well-informed source” had given him “detailed information on massively expensive and unnecessary commitments”.
Secondly, there is also a sniff of interest from the French about joining the programme. It takes about it as a "shortgap measure", but these things tend to take on a lifr of their own...
Defense News:
France To Delay Air Programs
A sketchy outline of affected programs emerged during a July 7 hearing in which Defense Minister Hervé Morin appeared before the parliamentary defense committee. Morin said the government plans to postpone orders for a new fleet of multirole tanker and transport (MRTT) aircraft to replace the C-135 fleet and the 700 million euro ($888 million) upgrade of Mirage 2000D aircraft, according to Jean-Claude Viollet, a member of Parliament who attended the hearing......
Given the planned cuts in Britain, France, Germany and Italy, decisions need to be made on pooling capabilities and a specialization of defense tasks, he said. Given the lack of money to perform the full range of missions, governments should think about which ones to opt for, he said.
Senior Air Force officers had been hoping an order of 14 air tankers will be placed next year to replace the aging fleet of 14 C-135 FR aircraft by 2015.
The parliamentary committee asked Morin if the British Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft fleet might be shared as a stopgap measure.
The MRTT is to refuel nuclear-armed strike aircraft, and also carry cargo long distances.