AbsolutelyBB85 wrote: ↑01 Mar 2023, 09:19
I don't recall ever seeing a demonstration vehicle or the mod signing off that it met any requirements, maybe it was demonstrated on a power point demonstration that cost £500m.
…
Ideally BAE and GD should have been contracted to produce demonstration vehicles with the most .
If 859£ million can buy us full detailed design of a world beating warship 150 metres x 20 then £500 million should buy us a couple of functioning prototypes for a 7 metre vehicle platform.
But we are where we are.
Much of the 5.5 billion has been paid out - as much as 4 billion depending on which source you believe. GD have not been paid for 2 years. 20 vehicles have been accepted - none turreted. “150 hulls in various stages of completion “ is meaningless as it’s the final integration which is the tricky bit. IOC projected at 2030 but no guarantee
IMHO there is no way GD are going to deliver 550 vehicles - at least 300 of which haven’t started yet - within the 1.5 billion of budget remaining.
I’d say the least bad option from here is a “handshake and walk away” agreement with GD Leave all WIP and IP, we won’t sue you you don’t sue us.
Then hand the thing over to RBSL to see if they can salvage something - like H&K did with the SA80. Maybe 200 ish turreted versions get assembled in Newcastle. The country cannot support two centres of AFV production in any case that site in Wales has a limited future.
/end rant