The Jag Had (in the ’80’s) 5 hard points. 1 centre-line and 4 on the wings.
They could carry a mix of stores including iron bombs, BL755 and tactical nukes.
The a/c I worked on had a recce pod on the centre-line.

This is just possible to a limited extend. In the UK technicans already have a broad working spectrum, stretching that even further by training them for another type isn’t likely to happen and increases the risk of mistakes. There is a reason why personal is separately trained. You might be able to switch a crew chief etc., but not the specialists for avionics and airframe/systems responsibility.

I worked on a number of different types in the RAF, plus a stint on visiting a/c. Trade training was designed to enable a technician move from type to type. Not having an X or Q annotation did not preclude a technician from working on any particular type of a/c.

The Jaguar engine technican won’t work on the Harriers engine and vice versa.

Unless trade training has really bottomed out then that would depend on individual experience and/or Q annotations.
A combined maintenance force is not unthinkable, it just requires careful planning.

My question about that is, did that F-104As have a special fuel-pump to the AB alight like similar interceptors?!

It is of note, that the airpressure has roughly halved again from 60000 feet to 70000 feet alone and that <=60000 feet is the typical max practical ceiling for most fighters!

All the reheat systems I have worked on use a seperate pump. What kind of pump and how it’s driven does vary though.

As an a/c climbs through less dense air the fuel is trimmed to suit. Not sure what it’s called today but it was the amplification ratio. For the RR Avon 200 series (RA24) it was 60:1. That is every 1 psi drop in air pressure required a 60 psi drop in fuel pressure.

One has to think why did they use the Adour engine in the first place. If it was giving that bad performance right fromt he very start you would have thought they might of said lets use the spey or something more powerful? Surely there was a better more powerful engine available at the time. It could of been joint development. OR why di the RAF never replace the engine much sooner. They could of upgraded Adour with loads of extra pwoer or used tornado engines or used anything!

Up-rating an a/c with a more powerful engine is all very well, but it has to fit!
You’d never get a Spey in that bay and if you did the intake would choke it.
The Adour wasn’t that bad. It did what it was supposed to do, get a fully loaded Jag in the air.

In other words the RFP, again, is clear in what is being asked for & NG/EADS recognizes that what it wants to offer is noncompetative so it is ‘playing its trump card’ & threatening to pull out of the competition unless changes are made to MAKE what it wants to offer competative.

Might I suggest you take this outside.
Handbags at five paces?

Airbus does not want to do this. They are not willing to offer an airframe that fits the need of the customer, and are instead using political moves to force a way too large aircraft on the USAF.

And after this, they’ll take over the world?
I think far too much is being read into all this.

Let’s look at a few things objectively.

1. The USAF need a new tanker
2. Members of Boeing and the USAF were jailed for fraudulent activities around a one party bid.
3. Another round was conducted and another party won the contest
4. The GAO over-ruled the decision due to inconsistencies in the decision making compared to the original specs.
5. There is a new RFP
6. All companies involved will offer what they think will best suit the requirement and what they themselves can produce.
7. The original requirement has evolved
8. It will probably evolve more as operational requirements change

The only political actions I see come from Boeing.
If you think otherwise, I’d start stocking up your nuclear bunker in the hills if I were you.

You are trolling again and DELIBERATELY MISREPRESENTING my position.

By your definition everyone is trolling and deliberately misrepresenting your position.

The reality is the other way around