Originally Posted by RumPunch
I cannot believe that only now 6 former defence cheifs have condemed this decision.
Especially as they would have been in charge when the various decisions to delay/extend/modify the program which led to the current situation were made. Perhaps the next CDS when asked to make some savings by fiddling will have the backbone to say no. IIRC MRA4 was supposed to be complete seven years ago and in that respect the project shares the same sunk cost fallacies as Bowman, DII, and Typhoon.
They also manage to agree to scrap newer (brand new in this case) airframes and keep the older knackered ones in service way beyond the ideal. I remember war stock Landrovers and trucks being dumped on the market when units were struggling with ancient Series IIIs.
Next time a requirement for a new aircraft, ship, or vehicle comes along perhaps it will not have a million and one other requirements drafted on the side and in so doing dooming the project to failure. If you have a requirement and the other chap's project won't fit then get your own project and if we can't afford both then cut one completely.
It's not nice, but until a CDS mans up enough to force some common sense then nothing is going to change. Perhaps a poster could be made up with the wreckage of the MRA4s surrounded by the mug shots of the magnificent six and distributed to all IPTs.