Originally Posted by
pr00ne
BVRAAM,
Did the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO member states now abutting Russia and almost every former Warsaw Pact member now being a member of NATO pass you by completely?
Cos that's why the 250 target figure was dropped.
I realise that, but I will argue we had Tornado F3's, Tornado GR1/4's, Sea Harriers, regular Harriers and Jags to make up the numbers & share the roles equally. For a couple of years after the fall of the Soviet Union, we had F-4's and Buccaneers, too.
The Typhoon Force is now doing (almost) everything all the others combined, did, with a fraction of the available assets and people. That's a lot of work...
Russia and Iran now pose a threat. Maybe it's time for the country to sit down and start discussing defence again?