I wonder how long it'll be before some suit remembers that, long before the Nimrod Y2K programme, all the RAF's future large aeroplane requirements were supposed to met by just one type. Named, surprisingly enough, the Future Large Aeroplane (FLA).....
Which became the A400M 'Atlas'.
Years ago, after receiving some corporate G&Ts, I managed to get into the FLA mock-up at Farnborough. When I asked about the proposed maritime version, it was 'guppy fish at feeding time' - they clearly hadn't really done much research into that requirement.....
