Re: Voland's right hand
".....Though to be honest, the spread of the supply chain across such a wide geography does not bring confidence that parts will be available when they are most needed - during wartime....." But this is only intended for peacetime. In the event of a major NATO war (not "peacekeeping"), the RAF would recruit and expand and take on their own maintenance duties. This sharing out of duties means all the buyers get some economic return whilst minimising the costs of peacetime servicing.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
