Ann: Vector and Quickstep Awarded Second Research, page-3

re: Ann: Vector and Quickstep Awarded Second ... This is a good announcement as it shows the US Air Force likes what Quickstep has. My guess is it would be in the $100k bracket, but the next phase could be a lot more.

JSF will fly IMHO. What else are people going to buy? Nothing. Eurofighter....US won't buy, wrong country, F22...way too expensive...all the rest too old, too politicaly incorrect or too outclassed. This is a good aeroplane, vertical and runway short take off. It is like the Harrier was; a game changer.

From memory they are talking about building up to 6,000 of these at say $50M each. Lots of people need them and have signed up. Lockheed Martin will need volume manufacturing and the BMI stuff is tricky. We could have a real advantage with Quickstep, but time will tell. The Australian Govt will be looking for some local input and I see a made in Fremantle badge for this one.

Obama would struggle to can this as there are 10,000s of highly skilled US jobs on the back of this and someone else would step in to build the next hot fighter from another country. They want to own all the world's oil producers so I can hardly see them giving away the family silver. Then they would need to tell all those countries who tipped in big dough, em sorry we canned it and you can't have your money back.

The US needs to have a strong manufacturing setup for defence. Something to do with the fact you can shoot and ask questions later in their constitution.

CD