Are we saying that FCBA that became JCA, for which we are buying F-35 has now merged with FOAS, that became FCAC, that became DPOC?
I thought the requirements were still distinct but that the DPOC cash was thrown at the QECV conversion to cats and traps...only for that to fall flat.
Yes... well, that's my understanding of the various Whitehall machinations anyway! So if we wanted to go down the line of petty service rivalries, then the RAF could potentially feel aggrieved that FOAS/FCAC/DPOC funding, which was (largely) an RAF project, ended up getting thrown into a dark blue pot. HOWEVER, as I've tried to stress before, in our current era of austerity I think there's even less place for such single service small-mindedness. However marked we may feel the differences between the various services are, we're all actually pretty similar. I really do think the time has come to try to put our differences behind us and instead devote our energies towards together delivering the very best capability we can, within the budget constraints put on us, for UK Defence.
While Sharkey clearly has strong feelings on the issue, I can't help but feel that his (often ill informed) rants risk having a negative impact on defence overall, by fostering the kind of petty bickering this thread has nicely demonstrated. JSF promises huge capability for the UK, and AMI is steadily gathering the momentum in rightly deserves with the powers-that-be; please let's stop fighting each other!