Onceapilot wrote:
As I have said, a VFM TriStar fleet enhancement (similar to the Marshalls proposal) would have been quite sufficient to match what the FSTA capability is , for the next 10 years.
Nope, totally wrong. 'VFM' and 'TriStar' in the same sentence as '10 years' is shockingly naïve. The general ageing and paucity of spares holdings would have been a bottomless money pit in fleet sustainability terms - and the single hose restriction with Eurofighter would have limited the old things' viability in trail operations.
It had its day. It's gone. Voyager isn't perfect (particularly due to the PFI.....), but I do agree that at least some of the UK's Atlas fleet should be tanker-capable for theatres such as the South Atlantic.
IMO, the TriStar was far better equipped than FSTA.....you can tell me why it is! Maybe you don't know?
Utter bolleaux! I can assure that RolyP most certainly does know the subject under discussion.
Maybe the USAF are wrong to still have fleets of KC135 and KC10?
Yes - that's why they're so desperate to get KC-46A into service - the cost of maintaining a fleet of geriatric jets is becoming
very painful!