3) (operationally) IT'S BETTER THAN A MORTGAGE... You get assurance the equipment / service will operate or you withhold payment until it works...
No it isn't. If the equipment/service doesn't work (how are the refuelling pods coming along by the way?) then the operational risk stays with the MOD. Slightly more important than being able to withhold payment (Lockheed Martin and C130J) is having the tanker where you want it, when you want it.
If the MOD have to run on Tristar (and VC10?) to cover the late arrival of Voyager AAR, it will be very interesting to see who picks up the tab. I'm guessing that the costs involved would cause AirTanker some interesting financial dilemmas right now.
