Future Aircraft

[The mother alligator]

Hi guys,
just posting to see if I can scab some information on any of the future aircraft due to enter service in the next decade or so. I have done a lot of research, and found good websites, but a few are still illuding me, damn that Merlin! As you can see, I have been unable to find out much about this aircraft. I know how many are ordered - 22, and that the first arrived in January last year at Benson, but I was wondering when the deliveries will be finished etc. The A400M and the Nimrod MRA4 are the only other ones that I've struggled with. Typhoon and JSF - easy. Plenty of websites for those babies. Any links, dirt from the inside would be much appreciated. Just to make you slightly happy while reading yet another boring wannabe thread, here's a joke.

Why did the blonde tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?

So she wouldn't wake the sleeping pills!

There you go, funny guy. Cheers for your time guys, any replies will be great. The Mother Alligator.:) :) :)

[BEagle]

Try this link:

http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/

Re FSTA - the choice seems to be between the Boeing 767 and the Airbus A330-200. As the project is at a sensitive commercial stage, I won't comment on which is the preferred option to those who fly current tankers.

However:

KC-767 - Lots of orders from USA, Italy and Japan.
A330-200K - No orders.

[WhichWay?]

Shame that the links that you provided BEagle provide the equivalent of a 404 error - page not found - maybe that tells you something of the procurement process that we currently have to undertake!!

[Man-on-the-fence]

Links worked fine for me

Machine / Human interface malfunction WhichWay ???:D :D

[BEagle]

Tested out fine when I conducted my customer support cross-check!

Knob changed on end of transmitter, as they say?

[WhichWay?]

Sorry, my mistake, if A does not understand B its A's fault!! What I meant was that the links for A400M and FSTA show a missing page reply - hope that clarifies things!!

[Denzil]

BEagle the difference is that all the other Air Forces you mention can afford (or are willing to invest) in "new build" aircraft. The UK will sadly end up with an oddball (count how many RB211 powered 767's grace the sky) ex airliner, with all its best years & flying hours used up! It all sounds like the TriStar vs KC10 all over again, BA had the aircraft to dispose of so thats what we got!!!!

[BEagle]

Denzil - who says that they'd be the ex-BA 767-300ERs? Why not new-build KC767s straight from Wichita?

There does seem to be a problem with the DPA link. As ever, nothing with DPA seems to be straightforward, so for FSTA try http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/fsta.htm and for A400M, try http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/a400m.htm

[Denzil]

From what I have read in the press they are the current FSTA options, A330 (new build to the extent that they don't exist yet) or B767 (ex BA aircraft). It would obviously be preferable to have new B767's but is this really likely to happen on our budget, unless Boeing come in with a C17 like rental agreement.

[ORAC]

That's exactly the deal they are offering the USAF, including organising the finance. At the end of the lease they ave the option to buy at a peppercorn price. The lease cost includes, unusually, insurance, so that if an aircraft is lost, it will be replaced.The total lease cost equates to the purchase price, but it gets rid of the need to find a lump sum up front.

Boeing and the USAF are presently pushing a similar much smaller lease for 4 x C40s through to establish the precedent and the details.

[BEagle]

If the Boeing solution to the USN's C-40As costs is proven to be sound, let's hope that they can offer something similar to the UK for the 767K. I cannot believe that the PFI/PPP route is the sensible way ahead for core military requirements - but this lease-purchase method might well be. But Hoon is set to announce the results of another defence review and, according to today's Sunday Times,

"The review, an add-on to the government’s 1998 strategic defence review, is a blueprint for Britain’s armed forces for the coming decade. It says Britain will usually be fighting with a coalition and that the United States is a likely partner.

British equipment in future will be bought to be more compatible with that of its allies. That is bound to cause consternation among opponents of Britain’s increasingly close military ties to America."

More compatible with that of its allies, eh? That should mean a boom as well as 3 hoses on the next RAF tanker - which might be the catalyst to $hitcan PPP/PFI FSTA once and for all and lease-purchase Boeing KC-767s!


PS - For those who are wondering what a C-40A is, it's basically a military Boeing 737-700C.

[the funky munky]

Its all in that link that BEagle posted from SABR to FSTA and FOAS. The only thing is most of these projects are so far off into the future that we are still looking into filling the capability gaps, I couldn't even begin to tell you what might be in the air in a decade. Well I can, the same cabs just with 10 years more flying on the clock.
After all a friend of mine from the shabby abbey told me that the FASM IPT (Future Attack Submarine project) were told to rethink their name because by implication they had identified a submarine to fill their capability gap. Barking or what!.
Just glad that I was able to post a reply on a topic that the mighty BEagle had. Not heard much from you recently, been on leave?

[owenpearce]

The Merlins should be in service in sept and I think thats when the full 22 are there