Originally Posted by
DuckDodgers
Let's not forget both the hours and number of landings that the airframes have accumulated over 43 years. This early withdrawal allows RAFAT to inherit the 20+ airframes that have below 8,500hrs/lower number of landings enabling them to reach OSD of 2030 without exceeding 10,000hrs that has historically been of concern within the annual safety statement signed off by ODHs.
As an adversary platform it adds minimal value and despite many papers written to offer modest upgrades (DRFM jammer or Airborne Radar Simulator in the Aden cannon body to name one) none were ever taken forward as electrical power generation was and issue and there was never any money!
As for what's next? Ask the customer, for which I'm sure the default answer will be 35-45K, M1.2, E-Scan or modern M-Scan, IRST, RWR, Data Link, Jamming, Target Handoff, HOBS Capability etc etc etc. Which means they'll get an Alpha Jet E.
Those capabilities should be/is the answer if we want to train for the near-peer adversary otherwise the wrong lessons just get consolidated for another few years. Unfortunately, the MoD come with the shopping list above and don’t understand why they get laughed at when they are only willing to pay for a slack handful of low-capability aggressor aircraft. Bit like walking into a BMW garage and only wanting to pay Ford prices!