If the program's predicted acquisition (R&D and production) costs had not gone up by $40 million per day (base year, no added inflation) since they signed the development contract...
And if we were not sitting here in 2012, when they were supposed to have hit IOC with all three versions, with no declared IOC date at all...
And if they had an excuse, such as if the program had been hit by a major partner's threatened walkout (Typhoon) or by budget fluctuations (Rafale)..
Then I would feel frightfully sorry for them about the negative press. However...
I'm not saying that they should disclose sensitive or classified stuff. But delays of the kind I mentioned are neither, because outside a completely black program, they'll be obvious anyway.
And while they don't have to publish bad news, I will always remember Airbus saying, in effect (in 2006, I think), "We are really screwed up on A380 and will be late. We're not sure how much." Nobody quite knew how to handle it.
Last edited by LowObservable; 28th Jul 2012 at 18:14.