Typhoon Spares Shortage

[Garry Russell]

When will they realise they can't keep cutting back

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13081691

[DaveB]

That link shows the article is about the Typhoon rather than the Tornado mate but even so, it's a poor state of affairs. As with every other service funded by the government, they're going to have to decide what sort of product they want, what they want it to do then pay for it! Having an Air Force capable of defending this little rock is one thing.. deploying it in multiple areas of conflict across the globe is something entirely different

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

That'sme in a rush...corrected

[SkippyBing]

To be honest the Typhoon spares contract was f****ed up from the start. I was talking to one of the pilot's at RIAT in '08* and essentially the spares contract had been cancelled in one of the MoD's attempts to stay in budget, consequently a lot of the initial airframes were/are being used as a source of parts.
Ultimately the problem is the way MoD spends it's money, for the fourth biggest defence budget in the world we don't get a lot of bang for our buck. Presumably because the 90000 civil servants have to justify their existence and end up writing crap contracts.

*Yes technically RIAT '08 didn't happen but we were already there and the beer wasn't going to drink itself.

[J0hn]

Yeah, I was just going to post this as an appendage to my previous one about FGA Typhoons and if it's the end for the Tornado.

Looking at this story, Tornado pilots have nought to worry about for a couple of years yet.

Skip - I don't think it is as much to do with justifying existence as with lining pockets and 'cronyism'. As well illustrated on the recent Dispatches prog.

JD