New Tankers for RAF
 

According to the Rumours and News forum, the RAF has selected the Boeing option for FSTA.

According to the Rumours and News forum, the RAF has selected the Airbus option for FSTA.

Not sure the RAF had any choice in the matter!

Did I hear that one K Filbey (former Stn Cdr of a secret Oxon AR base) has recently taken a post at Air Tanker? Coincidence......?

You may find Brian Poulton (also ex station commander Brize Norton) there too.

Excellent job on selling the A330 - doubles and triples all round

Somewhat old news....

Brian Poulton has been with Airbus for years. Primarily with the A400M programme.

However, there are restrictions which normally apply to retired Air Officers such as Keith Filbey which prevent them working in the defence industry for a certain minimum period after they retire.

And Brit bus driver, the A310 MRTT programme for the GAF/CF is coming along quite nicely. First one flew about a month ago; ground integration tests on the new equipment items start shortly......

BEags

You are of course right about restrictions on Air Officers but the purdah period (minimum 3 months regardless of next job maximum of 18 months if you've been associated with a particular procurement project) is not that long in most cases.

The galling thing is you have to write to the civilian Personnel Director to get his permission!!

Does that make you PPRuNe's first (known) ex-Air Officer then, eh Impiger?

Best you do a virus check sharpish then Mike.....:E

......and don't forget to check all your orifices(on your PC), you just never know what you might find.........:p

Reuters this morning 23/1/04
 

Serco falls on report to lose out on air contract
Fri 23 January, 2004 08:33


LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Shares in British services firm Serco Group SRP.L fell on Friday on a press report that it was among a consortium set to lose out on a 13 billion pound ($24 billion) air tanker contract.

The Financial Times newspaper reported that Britain was set to award the contract to a consortium led by Franco-German defence group EADS EAD.PA over a rival consortium including Boeing BA.N , BAE Systems BA.L and Serco.

"The announcement is still outstanding and we're not going to speculate on the potential of the announcement," said Kevin Johnson, Serco's head of media and public relations.

Boeing, BAE Systems and Serco each has a 31.67 percent stake in the consortium, with Spectrum Capital as a minor partner.

By 0830 GMT Serco's shares were down 2.3 percent at 185 pence, having earlier fallen to 172p.



Orion says
Buy RR and BAE, and SRP when the S$$t has settled as ther are an excellent long term bet
:ok:

It seems that an announcement is expected on Monday 26 Jan, according to the Financial Times:

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentSe...=1012571727085

The timing would certainly be sound, as the end of the week will see top-up fees, followed by the Hutton report.....folowed by the exit of the odd politician, perhaps?

Monday is also Australia's Foundation Day anniversary. Perhaps a suitable occasion to announce the winner of their new tanker contract as well?

Methinks EADS shares might be worth a punt.....;)

Interesting to see all the celebratory messages prior to an actual announcement.

It's perhaps worth noting that Serco's share price could be fluctuating as a result of other matters than FSTA. I'm not sure what EADS price has done this week, but sometimes share prices even go down on winning a contest.

I guess you're not on the city slickers editorial team, Orion, as you are proudly advocating purchasing shares in RR (the engine supplier to AirTanker and TTSC) and BAE (team member on TTSC and wing builder on AirTanker). Hardly rocket science, is it?

sprucemoose, you're absolutely right. Share prices are hardly truly indicative of the FSTA contract award likelihood.

And I agree that any 'celebratory messages' are indeed premature. What's that phrase about a Fat Lady singing...??

Mind you, I don't think that I'll be buying any Serco shares just yet ;)

Beagle/impiger I think you will find that KF's extended "gardening leave" had more to do with Tanker Transport muttering darkly about unfair competition during the bid process, than any govt edict! Can now be found during office hours in offices close to a very large M&S store, North of Bristol!

edited following BEagle's kind advice!

The only comment I would venture to make upon your post, newswatcher, is please remember that there is such a thing as libel...

from todays BBC news site

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3429111.stm

AIRTANKER WINS FSTA PRIZE!!

It's just been announced that AirTanker, the A330 team, has indeed won the RAF's FSTA competition. News came through on Bloomberg about 3 minutes ago!!

Someone must have been reading PPRuNe!!

Hooray!

A PFI!!

Now the government can lease back the planes from the winning consortium. G&Ts all round please.

Fantastic news. :)

Is this now the 5th Air Force to have Airbus tankers in their fleet?