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Old 15th Oct 2014, 12:15
  #59 (permalink)  
Roland Pulfrew
 
Join Date: Aug 1998
Location: England
Posts: 1,930
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My best suggestion is that if BAeS want to sell their products, they (BAeS), should have their own display team using their own aircraft. Use retired RAF crews if required.
And herein lies the problem: do you think small (as in the MOD) or do you think big (as in the whole nation)? A recent report basically suggested that, when viewed as a nation, the RAF's Tornado fleet was a free good (same probably applies to the Hawk and 1 single Red sqn in particular). The export sales, spares support, maintenance, upgrades etc had made more for the nation (tax return to the government, people in employment not sitting on benefits, those in the supply chain earning their way and paying tax rather than being on the dole etc etc) than the entire fleet had cost the government through life. The same, as I 've said, is probably true for the Hawk and may well be the same with the Typhoon in the future.

The cost of running the Reds - peanuts in comparison to the sales potential. Now if only BAES would think big and offer to re-equip the Reds with the T2/127/128/131 at marginal cost, the benefits (for the company and the nation) might be highly lucrative.
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