Royal Airforce New Tanker announced

[marktigger]

the Winner of the RAF's tanker contract has been announced as the AIRTANKER group using a modified airbus A330

[He219]

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040123/i/r31426815.jpg

An Airbus 330 converted for use as an aerial refueling tanker for the military is seen in this artists rendering. Britain is set to award a $24 billion military plane contract to a consortium led by Airbus parent EADS in a blow to rival Boeing Co, an industry source said on January 23, 2004. Europe's largest order for planes that refuel military jets would be a big win for Airbus -- which would supply civilian planes to be converted into air tankers -- and crack open a sector where Boeing has long held a near-monopoly. 'The order is expected to go to EADS,' the industry source said, adding an announcement was likely on Monday, but may come as early as Friday. Photo by *******

From Today's Pic's, Jan. 23
:D

[mustamato]

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040123/i/r31426815.jpg

The brits going Euro is promising for the future.

[-Max2-]

How many aircrafts ?

[oldsoak]

Good. BAE needed a gentle reminder that its not the only show in town.

[specialairservice]

Yuk!!! Another piece of crap that our airforce litters the sky with!!!

:cantbeli: :cantbeli:

[DeltaWhisky58]

Yuk!!! Another piece of crap that our airforce litters the sky with!!!

:cantbeli: :cantbeli:

What is the justification for this comment? No tanker - no airpower deployment - the RAF's are worn out so we need new ones?

Perhaps you will understand this better in a few years as you learn to understand the modern world better.

[cut]

Good. BAE needed a gentle reminder that its not the only show in town.

Boeing are the big losers, BAE has a 20% stake in EADS anyway.

[marktigger]

so so actually British Airways are the biggest looser as the FSTA was ment to relieve them of their Unwanted 767's which because of the engine fit they will have difficulty selling on.
Don't read to much into the european aspect the 330 according to some in the know was the better aircraft being able to do more than the 767 like a straight lift to the Falklands without IFR.

[DeltaWhisky58]

Good. BAE needed a gentle reminder that its not the only show in town.

Boeing are the big losers, BAE has a 20% stake in EADS anyway.

Hardly surprising that BAE lose out considering their current track record for late delivery. One only has to look at the Nimrod MRA.4 project - 6 years behind schedule, and the Typhoon. This story goes back way, way further, to include such projects as the Nimrod AEW.2 back in the 80s.

The Pro-Airbus agenda also has further implications with Britains commitment to the A-400M transport to be built by the Airbus consortium.

To be frank, I am of the opinion that this is the better choice.

[cut]

.

To be frank, I am of the opinion that this is the better choice.

definately but only because BAE has been handed so much recently.

[Gordon]

so so actually British Airways are the biggest looser as the FSTA was ment to relieve them of their Unwanted 767's which because of the engine fit they will have difficulty selling on.
Don't read to much into the european aspect the 330 according to some in the know was the better aircraft being able to do more than the 767 like a straight lift to the Falklands without IFR.

I've heard the same as Mark here, the Airbus is apparently the better aircraft more suited to the job ... whether that's why it was chosen is a different matter altogether ... ;) .

[marktigger]

yes but British waste of space can still f*%k it up they make airbuses wings that will have to be modified for refueling drums lights etc.

I wonder will Beoing now spead up its attempts to acquire BWoS as that might put airbus out of buisness.

[martinexsquaddie]

good news indeed BAE might just try raiseing there game
plus Boeing dodgy deal with the USAF would'nt have impressed anyone.
If this comes in on budget and ontime might be bad news for BAE

[specialairservice]

specialairservice wrote:
Yuk!!! Another piece of crap that our airforce litters the sky with!!!




What is the justification for this comment? No tanker - no airpower deployment - the RAF's are worn out so we need new ones?

I know we need tankers but i think it would make more sence to use the BA 767s as they would be much cheeper.

[fantassin]

From The Guardian


Air Tanker is offering fewer than 20 new Airbus A330-200 planes while Tanker Team proposes buying a score of surplus Boeing 767s from British Airways and converting them into a tanker fleet. Mr Southwell has also offered a mixture of new and old planes to make the deal more affordable.

Claiming that the Airbus could provide 50% more fuel, he said: "Really my competitor should be cheaper, and a lot cheaper at that given the differences in age and capability. But, unlike wines, planes don't achieve a vintage."

He said his team had "gone to extraordinary lengths - the extra mile - to provide the customer with a very aggressive commercial deal of excellent value for the taxpayer".

He added: "It's great value for the Ministry of Defence budget because it won't pay a penny until 2008 or when we take off and complete a flight successfully and on time."

[marktigger]

still I'm not comfortable with the PFI bit the Airforce should own and operate the fleet outright.

[GrantT]

I know we need tankers but i think it would make more sence to use the BA 767s as they would be much cheeper.

The BA 767's would have had considerably higher maintenance costs compared to the A330’s; in the long run the A330's will be the cheaper option.

Overall a good choice by the MoD, everything the BA 767's could do, the A330's could do better.

[DeltaWhisky58]

GrantT wrote:

Overall a good choice by the MoD, everything the BA 767's could do, the A330's could do better.

Yes, longer, further, faster.............

[martinexsquaddie]

we've all seen how timmy the tristar was such good value for money not :(

[marktigger]

yes i seem to remember Crab air actually wanted DC10's but BA had bought the Tristar and were mothballing them because of lack of Buissness so Aunty Mod bought them at a knocked down price.

[martinexsquaddie]

except the tristar was a 2nd best design so the spares were hard to come by.
poor old timmy got shagged out by granby and there were few spares left :(

[Parzival]

Nice :=)

[oldsoak]

Unfortunately I think the MOD did'nt quite realise how different the Tristar was to the DC10 and conversion was not as straightforward as might appear. Tristar was a good plane, in some ways better, but it was built in fewer numbers and hence spares were more expensive. Still, its done sterling work over the years.

[usa320]

I think a 767 or A310 would be more appropriate. A330's are just too big. They are made to be passenger planes, where as a 767 or A310 could also be rigged for cargo.

[marktigger]

320 u r talking bollox. Obviously you haven't seen what the contract is.

so let me educate you

Roughly

Beoing/Bae and a few other companies were going to take former British airways 767 passenger Jets that have been in use for 10+ years and then convert them into Tanker/cargo/passenger aircraft at the expense of the British tax payer then lease them to the RAF.

Airtanker are going to build NEW airbus A330's as tanker/cargo/transport aircraft at the expense of the British tax payer and lease them to the RAF

The A330 is bigger than a 767 has longer range and bigger capicity than a 767 there fore result. New aircraft that can carry more further.