News of the week.
S-400 TRUMF slowly still coming on line as Moscow gets it's second battery.
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20110216/162635663.html
This also came off the "did".com site.
Well I've been watching this program for a long time now and warned in the patch post that if one leg leg of the 3 legged stool faltered the program will likely be killed. Well you better get off that stool right now, two are faltering real fast!!
These countries stand to lose in the 100's of millions of dollars or more by canceling MEADS now. And parallels to the
F-35, EFV and other programs are not hard too make here. All are troubled programs, with cost over runs, R&D issues and questions arising over are these the right systems for the times? Though MEADS has had some major successes over the last couple of years, like the EFV the cost has finally maybe caught up to MEADS as well. You have to really step back if you live in the U.S. given what's happening here politically and ask is the F-35program really that safe if if the cost over runs continue? I do know my Federal taxes are going up on 1 Mar. and on 4 Mar. the government will shut down without a compromise on the budget we've here yet to pass for FY 2011. If this keeps up the F-35 could easily find itself going the way of SLARAAM (w/European partners.) , EFV, and now MEADS (w/European partners.) if it doesn't "fly right" and get it's costs under control. The MEADS radar system is so advanced it might cross over to the PATRIOT PAC III making a much improved PATRIOT system better.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...639/#contracts
A perspective.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/...0a3d0df2434e95
Regards,
Pat