EGDG if you came across as not having a major chip on your shoulder then you may earn more credibility.
As for £22m its not much in the overall great scheme of things. What the seedcorn guys bring to the P8 programme will bring benefits to the UK, who do you think will be operating in our back yard in the time to come. The one thing that the UK were world leaders was MPA operations, Ops and Exercises have all the evidence of that over the years. Note I said MPA operations not just ASW. The experience our guys take to the programme can only lead to a better operated product.
If we want to talk about cash being wasted, then why not discuss A400M, Voyager, Astute, Type 45, Bowman and JSF to name but a few. How late and how much more than originally planned are these for starters. How much additional costs are there from changing the spec then changing it back to the original. Then there are all the little things, I went to a meeting once were some software was being discussed, the item was accepted into service with some known faults, I would expect these to be resolved by the manufacturer after all if you had a car and had an issue then it would be rectified. But no, thats not how MOD contracts work, the company charged for the software to be rectified. I stated that this was ridiculous only to be told that "its always been done this was", I saw it as being charged twice for a product. Total bollocks I know, but try multiplying this with the thousands of minor items like this and it all adds up. At least we get something back from seedcorn, even if its not hardware.
Ask the MOD how much it spends on so called specialist advisors, then we have the so called wet behind the ears ministerial advisors, having met some they had no life experience and very little if any practical experience on the subject matter. How many times do you see an article on defence that you know it total spin and blantantly misleading.
So EGDG why dont you go off and have and immature rant on some of those subjects, or just come clean on what you do and why the chip on your shoulder.
Last edited by Hoots; 7th Mar 2013 at 14:31.