Continuing delays in signing a contract for the UK's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) fleet appear set to drive the Royal Air Force to extend operations of its Vickers VC10s by a further four years until 2015.
An expression of interest is sought from BAE Systems by 17 January to extend its current Project Javelin support deal for the RAF's 16-strong VC10 fleet, which in mid-2006 marked 40 years of operational service. An invitation to tender for a full availability-based deal will be released by the UK Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) late this month, with BAE to respond by 28 February.
A solicitation document for the so-called "Javelin Green" arrangement notes: "The objective is to develop the most cost-effective way to meet the needs of the fleet to extend the out-of-service date from 31 March 2011 to 31 March 2013, and provide further options to extend beyond this date to 2014 and 2015."
The RAF's replacement FSTA capability was to have entered service this month under the project's original schedule, but the MoD and preferred bidder EADS UK-led consortium AirTanker have been embroiled in slow-moving contract negotiations since February 2005.
Expected to be delivered under a 27-year private finance initiative deal worth up to £13.9 billion ($27.2 billion), the new system will comprise a core fleet of nine Airbus A330-200 tanker-transports, plus a further five held at short readiness. These will replace the RAF's 101 Sqn-operated VC10s and 216 Sqn's nine Lockheed TriStars, six of which have air-to-air refuelling equipment.
Worth between £100 million and £400 million, the new VC10 contract also follows the planned evolution of the Javelin partnership, which involves BAE, the DLO and the UK Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA). Two previous deals, worth a combined £245 million, cover the provision of engineering support at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and major maintenance services at DARA's St Athan site in south Wales.
The new project phase will transition this work to a full aircraft availability-based deal, and will also incorporate so-called depth maintenance activities and support for in-flight refuelling equipment at Brize Norton.
The DLO says the agreement will also address the impact of recent and future reductions in the RAF's VC10 fleet size, and develop a disposal plan for the aircraft.
Kieran Daly has fond memories of the RAF's VC10s. Read his blog.Source: Flight International
