160 Typhoons and that's it.
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160 Typhoons and that's it.
No more Eurofighters for RAF, despite 232-jet pact ? The Register
Flight International reports this week on remarks by Air Commodore Chris Bushell, leader of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) project team in charge of the fighter.
"In procuring these 40 Tranche 3 aircraft the UK will have met its commitment," said the air commodore. "We will have fulfilled our obligation, but retain the option to purchase more aircraft downstream should we wish to."
The UK was generally believed to be committed to the purchase of 232 aircraft, as a result of negotiations in the 1990s between the partner nations producing the plane - Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy. The amount of work done in each country was dependent on the number of orders to be placed, meaning that the UK's large order was very lucrative for BAE Systems plc.
However since the international agreement was inked it has long since become apparent that the RAF cannot use 232 aircraft, and that if so many were delivered large numbers would sit in mothballs, perhaps never seeing use. This previously occurred in the 1990s with the equally-controversial Tornado F3 fighter - also a BAE product - now being replaced by the Eurofighter.
It was thought that any attempt to renege on the 232-jet promise by Blighty would lead to stinging financial penalties under the original agreement, but it would appear that the plane's lamentable history of cost overruns has given Whitehall a bailout option.
"In procuring these 40 Tranche 3 aircraft the UK will have met its commitment," said the air commodore. "We will have fulfilled our obligation, but retain the option to purchase more aircraft downstream should we wish to."
The UK was generally believed to be committed to the purchase of 232 aircraft, as a result of negotiations in the 1990s between the partner nations producing the plane - Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy. The amount of work done in each country was dependent on the number of orders to be placed, meaning that the UK's large order was very lucrative for BAE Systems plc.
However since the international agreement was inked it has long since become apparent that the RAF cannot use 232 aircraft, and that if so many were delivered large numbers would sit in mothballs, perhaps never seeing use. This previously occurred in the 1990s with the equally-controversial Tornado F3 fighter - also a BAE product - now being replaced by the Eurofighter.
It was thought that any attempt to renege on the 232-jet promise by Blighty would lead to stinging financial penalties under the original agreement, but it would appear that the plane's lamentable history of cost overruns has given Whitehall a bailout option.
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Roll up roll up roll up.
Come and see the three ringed circus that is uk defence plc ltd. We've let coco the clown be in charge for so long it is laughable.
I'm actually glad I work in the private sector - any day when we get bad management and cock-ups I just look at how the Military is being run and I realise any organisation that is profit making and expanding can't be all that bad.
Fly safe and don't let the blotter jotter desk driving weenies screw up your days any more than they already have.
Come and see the three ringed circus that is uk defence plc ltd. We've let coco the clown be in charge for so long it is laughable.
I'm actually glad I work in the private sector - any day when we get bad management and cock-ups I just look at how the Military is being run and I realise any organisation that is profit making and expanding can't be all that bad.
Fly safe and don't let the blotter jotter desk driving weenies screw up your days any more than they already have.
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160 too many !
IMHO thats 160 too many...waste of time...waste of money...waste of effort.
For those of us who call for a joined up military, this is the one project which would have never got a hearing.
I'm sure the t$sser who recently left as the RAF boss would argue differently, it has secured his paycheck with the blood of those boys left with inadiquate kit and resources.
5d2d
For those of us who call for a joined up military, this is the one project which would have never got a hearing.
I'm sure the t$sser who recently left as the RAF boss would argue differently, it has secured his paycheck with the blood of those boys left with inadiquate kit and resources.
5d2d
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Oh dear. I think this is about to descend into another petty squabble between people who can't see the need for anything we're not using in Afghanistan and people who can do the maths about fast jets and realise what 160 frames means in terms of FE@R over a 40-year life.....
The trouble today is that 500days' rant, in milder language, reflects the feelings of a lot of people. People who don't realize that, for the first time in 100 years, we are engaged in a long combat with people who don't do anything in the air above 10000 feet - and that situation won't prevail for the next 10, 24, 50 or 100 years.
So, 500days, what do you think of Type 45? Astute?
So, 500days, what do you think of Type 45? Astute?
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As soon as we see 'Typhoon' in a thread title we know what'd going to happen.
For what it's worth, in my view we shouldn't be in the situation we are in to have to accept 160 and still be unable to give the Army what it needs as well.
For what it's worth, in my view we shouldn't be in the situation we are in to have to accept 160 and still be unable to give the Army what it needs as well.
