Why won't anyone stop the madness?
Possibly because the plan to fund the C variant and catapults used the money required to replace GR4. Go for STOVL and GR4 replacement might come back to life. But what if STOVL fails - making the boats useless? JCA funding then might become available as well.
Or maybe - on the other side of the coin, there are RN officers who want the boats no matter what, and are scared that costs and risks are jeopardising them. And maybe 'no matter what' includes going for the B.
But to believe that you would have to believe that one or more single services (or individuals within them) think capability is sub-servient to its own/ their own interests.
Or have I also taken one too many cynicism pills?
Last edited by orca; 27th Mar 2012 at 03:08.