Organizational Self-Justification
Bravo Sierra! Once again a newly established governmental organization must justify itself by harassment, micromanagement, delay and "officiousness". Only then will everyone take them 'seriously'. "We must correct the errors of the past by being a**h**** today, no matter that we are attacking the wrong issue."
It is the same on the US side of the Atlantic wrt "new" offices.
Review: KC/RC-135s are scheduled to operate through 2042; E-Systems/Raytheon/L-3 Com facility at Greenville have maintained and modified the RC-135 fleet for over 40 years. The Big Safari Project Office has managed this program and others (U-2s, RPV, all other "special" USAF aircraft programs). Specific RC-135s have flown over 40000+ hours without any major problems. (I don't remember any airframe problems with any -135. Most accidents are due to mistakes by the aircrew.)
I can understand the USAF telling the MAA offices to stuff it. Perhaps the MoD can do a quick overpaint of the RAF markings, slap on stars and bars, fly the Airseeker to Mildenhall and begin ops training under a "false flag", or with a token USAF body on-board. After all, at present the RAF long-range SIGINT capability is zip, zero, nada (as we say over here).
(4000 hours in KC/RC-135s; survivor of KC-135 - F-4C Phantom mid-air collision; RC-135U Air Staff program manager)
Last edited by NoVANav; 1st Nov 2013 at 12:22.