UK makes offer to CAF

[Huron Topp]

Anyone heard tell of this little offer, re. the RAFs "short" J models?
http://www.sfu.ca/casr/bg-airlift-raf.htm

[Archimedes]

HT,

It was mentioned here (http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=725752&C=airwar) a few days ago (the article to which your link refers), and rumours about some/all of the 'J' fleet being sacrificed in some sort of financial scheme that would allow the purchase of a few more C-17s have been doing the rounds for a while now - although all I've heard has been of the 'a friend of a neighbour's friend who is the brother of someone at Lyneham told my cousin's dog that....' variety.

[mystic_meg]

This is news to me, although it appears from the link that all 10 of the C Mk5's are on offer..(IIRC, we bought 10 short, and 15 stretch C130Js)

Interested to see what develops from this...:uhoh:

Archimedes: with reference to the article in your link, 'rumour' has it that a 5th C17 was on the cards - possibly to have been in service by now - but dallying/diversion of funds to other pressing projects, (think big boats,) meant that it didn't happen, but more jam is promised tomorrow, apparently..:confused:

[Safeware]

IIRC, this was being talked about before the C-130J even came into service with the RAF.

sw

[Impiger]

I think the original plan re the C17 flowing from the last but one spending round settlement was to buy out the lease of the current 4 frames and buy 2 more. This was modified to Buy plus One more on affordability grounds. Funding this move through sale of Short (or should that be Standard) J models is a new twist to the tale and not one I've heard off but then I no longer move in acquisition and programming circles.

Of course the only J model worth flying was the F4 J (UK) - dons protective gear and steps smartly back into the Whitehall Trench!

[BEagle]

Flying in the F4J(UK) for you surely, Impiger? ;)

It was an excellent introduction to the (then) world of the Vickers FunBus when we went off on Tiger Trails to Miramar to pick them up. I had a very pleasant few days in the Holiday Inn, Harbor Drive including a trip to Hollywood! Then back across the US - including my IRT from Dayton to Goose which included trailing the jets from Wright-Patt. A far cry from the Great Sandpit which is all that seems to feature on the cards for the AAR world these days....


There was indeed a rumour around not so long ago which indicated that binning some of the 130Js would allow the 4 existing RAF C-17s to be acquired plus another. One version even said that Boeing would buy the things off the RAF in order to offset the purchase of C-17s.

Shall be at Frankfurt again on Wednesday - it's always fun counting the number of C-17s sitting around at Rhein-Main. Highest tally so far was about 4.5 time as many as the entire fleet operated by the Rental Air Farce - and that was at just one base in one country......

[P-T-Gamekeeper]

Sell the lot I say! (I've got enough hours for the freebie license, and my golf swing needs some work).

If the Brown-Jobs could learn how to drive a Land Rover again, rather than using the free Air Taxi service we currently offer, we could sell all 10 without a hassle.

[Jimlad]

And there was me thinking that we were getting a 5th C17 as a sop for the recent cuts. Nice of Buff to cut, then cut some more to pay for the sop.

[Huron Topp]

Cuts!? You guys know nuffink about cuts until you've been in the CF.:}