I like the idea that the RN has its own secret stash of money that it can nip-out and buy something without the rest of the MoD being involved.
You don't think the sailors of yore spent all that captured Spanish gold on wine, women and song do you? Being the wise salty seadogs there were they put a portion of the money into a high interest bond for a rainy day and its just about to come to fruitition.
Certain in the know members of the senior service are currently pawing over the military version of the Argos catalogue, little pens at the ready whilst others, of a more traditional bent, are phoning around various museums trying to work out how much they'd want for a slightly used Gannet or Sea Vixen.
Why else would there be a pipedream thead about the RN buying F18Fs (circumventing the MoD who usually purchase kit for the various constituent parts of the military) or the rash of "remember when we flew these" type threads?
Just read between the lines, it where the real meat is....
