Dear EADS supporters:
I still can't really understand your disappointment. Was the smell of the carrots so strong that you've lost your collective heads?
Think of US trade deficit.
Think of history of EADS subsidies.
Think of supply chain management.
Think of airlines getting a steady supply of USAF trained pilots rated for airplanes of the foreign arch-rival.
Etc.
All the things that politician will have to "explain" to its voters with "but we got an aircraft with a better expandability". Or whatever it is that you claim makes A330 such a better choice.
USAF needed a boogyman against Boeing to get a reasonable price. Along the way, it turned out that it needed to address the issue of Boeing's arrogance about being effectively the only reasonable supplier. It took a few tries but job done. USAF will buy a few more Eurocopters, I expect.
I, for one, am rather happy about this outcome since the opposite decision would mean to me that the politicians across the border are loosing basic touch with their voters. Our neighbours being ~10 bigger than us, I don't like to worry too much about the health of American democracy. It's bad for digestion. (Our local problems are enough for my sensitivities.)
On the other hand, I hope Sarkozy wasn't disappointed. Like really. Not what he said. Our cross-Atlantic relations are sad. I must add that I kind of lost the plot when EU decided to build a dependable 2nd source of satellite navigation for anyone who had reasons to worry about his access to the free American system.
SRENNAPS: Just wish our politicians would do the same instead of sucking up to to the rest of the world in the name of political correctness. Dam, just about the whole world craps on us these days and we do nothing!!!!
I definitely don't mean to be crapping on you. You're in a good standing in my crowd. As to your politicians, or our politicians, or the other guys' politicians, ... eh.. I might as well go to JB without the help from the mods.
Cheers! bm