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Originally Posted by dragracer567

The A400M is fairly successful now but the cost factor is always a persistent bother especially if we want local assembly for large numbers. Another option is to make Boeing restart the C17 production line (as stated in the article in the post below), however, there would have to be sufficient units to justify restarting the whole supply chain which would be impossibly expensive and would require finding more buyers such as perhaps the Saudis and maybe more Europeans (or NATO). The A400M would be cheaper and developing countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have purchased some but in very small numbers.

This C17 restart rumour always seems to come back around. Question is, when was the last time a US defence major was actually compelled into restarting a production line after it was mothballed? The tooling wasn't preserved was it and I'm going to wager that production lines been reassigned to different products now. It's going to need to be very much Boeing's while, and by that I mean for a princely sum, if they're going to be made to restart the line. Just how certain are we that a lot of those pining for more C17s will put their money where their mouth is and place those orders? As great a platform as that has been, think that ship has sailed. I think it'll take USAF Airlift Command to make a concerted plan to drastically up C17 numbers for Boeing to get out of bed and that's say if some 4-star goes up on the Hill and says in a hearing that they don't have enough airlift capacity for a SCS war. Overseas orders will just be sprinkling on the ice cream in comparison, the real meat of the order as always is closer to home for Boeing.

The main reason is probably zero marketing, it seems like the Japanese just aren't interested in selling arms abroad even though their constitution allows it now. The death of Abe San has really tempered a lot of Japan's newly found strategic ambitions.

I suppose you're right. They only seem to make half hearted entries into various international defence tenders. Seems a shame really but I suppose the way those programmes are structured to essentially retain domestic Japanese industry, they're still meeting their objectives.

I guess the block was just for supplying the IDF, typical American tactic, holding the aid money as hostage to ensure that the aid dollars go to American defence contractors (great way of funding your military-industrial complex, same with Ukraine aid that flows back to the complex). IAI is still supplying converted 767s to other countries such as the example sold to Colombia.

I definitely remember them blocking the IAF from purchasing the IAI converted 767s for their own requirement but I thought that embargo also extended to foreign sales by IAI as well. But clearly it was just making sure the taxpayer aid made it back to Uncle Sam.