A bit of an exchange on twitter......
Nicholas Drummond:
"I understand that the RAF’s preferred option to replace ageing BAE Systems Hawk T1 and T2 aircraft is another Hawk - the Boeing / SAAB T-7 Red Hawk. This is considered to be a better intermediate step between the T-6 Texan trainer and Typhoon/ F-35 than Leonardo’s M346."
Bill Sweetman:
"Long version: T-7 is large, expensive, basically a supersonic airplane with the supersonic designed out of it. It's having serious issues, it's late, and even the US Navy (no longer requiring a CV-qual'd trainer) is looking at M-346, T-50 et al.
"Ask the Israelis what they think of the M-346's "limitations" and also, what they expect advanced trainers to do - introduce students to complex environments, early and at less $/hour than the fighter.
"You don't need something the size of a freaking M2000."