I don’t think this is much of a surprise but it looks like the RAF won’t be getting Tranche 3 according to Today’s FT

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d33939d0-6e50-11dd-b5df-0000779fd18c.html

There is no mention if the newfound Russian expansionism will change this policy but it doesn’t look good.:(

That article his just one huge piece of…
The three countries mentioned, Saudi Arabia, Japan and India, will have (if Japan and India decide to buy the Typhoon, a massive IF) their own production lines, and that basically kills the possibility of offloading part of the RAF “Tranche 3” to any of them. Besides that, the time frames are completely wrong for that kind of deal, the Tranche 3 production contract is expected to be signed by the beginning of 2009, many months or (more probably) several years before any of the mentioned countries sign any contract for a next generation fighter (Japan, India), or for a second batch of Typhoon´s (Saudi Arabia). Even if the MOD drags it´s feet, cry, scream, yell, etc, they have to sign the Tranche 3 contract before (say) 2011/2012, a much more probable “Time Frame” for any of those three countries to decide on what they are going to buy.
So, no “offloading”.
If the MOD wants to cut the Tranche 3 order, they are going to pay the contractual penalties, wich, by the way, were enforced to the Germans, the Italians and the Spanish by the… British MOD.

Cheers 😉

a) Conventional mono-hull

“Let´s pick the Daring design and change it… slightly” 😉

Getting Strike MK41 or Sylver 70 and a radar capable of doing ABM, while the main focus of this class should be ASW?!
EXPENSIVE, EXPENSIVE

Forget it…

If the RN wants to start doing ABM, fit another 16 Strike MK41 on the Type 45 class and then buy a few dozens of SM-3.

“I” (V1) – CAAM, enough for point defense, this isn´t suposed to be a AAW Destroyer (and the RN Budget will kill anything expensive)

“I” (V2) – CAAM+ASTER30 “and throw in a SAMPSON Radar” (to hell with “Bean counters”)

“C” – ASTER15 with a THALES Herakles, not dreadfully expensive and already developed

Standards and ESSM on Royal Navy Ships´s is a “Non Starter” by some very obvious reason´s (cost, logistic footprint, etc)

Well, the RN already has the T-45 for AAW, so… And the Type 22 B3 are getting a bit old.

“C”, then “C”, and finaly “C”… 😀

Actually, something like “C”, “E”, “F”.

Cheers

RFP Released…

DATE:06/08/08
SOURCE:Flightglobal.com
DOD re-opens tanker competition, makes 3 major changes
By Stephen Trimble

The US Department of Defense today re-opened the tanker competition by issuing a draft request for proposals to the two bidders and setting a goal for contract award by Christmas Eve.

Rivals Northrop Grumman and Boeing will face three major changes in the new solicitation from the terms used by the US Air Force to select Northrop’s KC-30B aircraft. That decision was overturned on 19 June by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), citing “significiant” errors in the USAF evaluation.

DOD has taken over management of the competition and appointed an entirely new source selection advisory committee as a result of the GAO’s findings.

The key changes for the new evaluation include giving official credit for having the capacity to offload more fuel, the decoupling of maintenance and fuel cost estimates from acquisition costs and extending the lifecycle period from 25 years to 40 years.

Northrop is teamed with EADS North America to offer the KC-30B, a variant of the Airbus A330-200 converted freighter. Boeing is offering an all-new version of the 767-200.

As the larger aircraft in the competition, the KC-30B will gain an advantage in the evaluation by having more capacity to carry fuel than the KC-767. One of Boeing’s options to counter this advantage is to change its offer to the KC-777, although this could significantly drive up development and acquisition costs compared to its original bid.

Extending the lifecycle period by 15 years, however, could pose a disadvantage for the larger KC-30B, which consumes more fuel than the KC-767.

But this issue could be mitigated by the decision to decouple acquisition and lifecycle cost estimates in the new evaluation, with estimates for near-term acquisition costs receiving more consideration.

The competitors will have one week to review the draft RFP and discuss any issues with DOD officials, said Shay Assad, director of defence procurement and acquisitions policy.

DOD intends to issue a final RFP by mid-August, with proposals due by 1 October.

“We gave the offerors originally 60 dyas to submit proposals so this is about the same amount of time,” Assad said.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/08/06/310511/dod-re-opens-tanker-competition-makes-3-major-changes.html

Russia is dead serious now, America should put or you shut up. I don’t know if the U.S and Americans know what Russia is. And for that matter what nuke is.
Mutual destruction, they the Russians have nothing to loose, annihilation would be mutual. If Americans want to live, their leaders must behave, I am sorry I have nothing against Americans and the fault is not theirs, but their leaders.

😀

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness