Kinda makes you wonder don't it? 20 Billion+ quid alone for Trident 2 (which will NEVER fly in anger) and yet we're still moving our troops around the planet in bloody Tristars? Just how much would it really cost to get hold of half a dozen mothballed passenger aircraft (take your pick coz there's plenty sat over in the Mojave sunshine right now
Mojave Air and Space Port ), bolt on a DAS and Robert's your Uncle's Brother? Can't be that hard...can it?
(1) Trident2 is a DETERRENT and thus is not intended to fly in anger; if it does then a lot of things will have fallen apart and we are all well and truly in the poo !
(2) Mobilizing a six pack of mothballed airliners is not an exactly easy nor inexpensive undertaking and unless the aircraft were subjected to an in depth inspection and overhaul may well prove no better than the VC 10's in terms of reliability; to say nothing of time and cost of training crews and engineers.