It's not only the DM allowed journalistic license on the interwebs you know. OK, disregarding my schoolboy maths error, the only "issue" here for me (as a taxpayer) is where is the value for money? We can change any defence policy we choose on a whim, and have done, but having spent the money should we not try and get a reasonable and fair price? If the aircraft are upgraded isn't the price also upgraded?
I'll round down my thread title by an order of magnitude and a few billion and await a job offer from George Osborne. Thank you all for paying attention, I shall endeavor to do the same.