Originally Posted by BEagle
Since the Spanish cannot even get the A330MRTT AAR mission system to work, what hope is there for their prowess in designing something as demanding as an MPA mission system?
Too true Beags, and they still have the gaul and temerity to bleat about the Aust Govt not taking advantage of their very generous offer of a sixth tanker!
From Australian Aviation online today...
Urena also said Airbus Military had yet to receive a response from the Australian government on its unsolicited proposal to convert a sixth A330 into a KC-30 for the RAAF with Qantas Defence at Brisbane, which would keep the conversion line open ahead of potential future work for other A330 MRTT customers.
“This offer is still on the table, but unfortunately by the end of the month we [begin to] shut down the Qantas Defence [conversion activity], we are going to finalise how we are going to finish aircraft number five, and then unfortunately those capabilities are going to be lost,” he said.
“We have never got an answer from the Australian government … [but] every country has the sovereign right to say something or to say nothing, so [I make] no criticism of that, [I have] no opposition to how they acted.”
What he didn't mention is that Qantas owns the conversion facility, NOT Airbus, and Qantas are rightly pissed off with Urena's threats.