Well, I'd be quite glad if we got Rafale, or any other off-the-shelf new generation aircraft that fits the role, or could be adapted to fit the role.
I'm beginning to get tired of the feeling that our people and our quality of life are being mortgaged against high value aquisition (sp?) programmes which are not running especially smoothly. I can accept that the need for modern kit is pressing, and I can stomach the fact that money has to be found from a shrinking budget. It seems to me that (alongside the capability gap) issues a driving force in the choice of programme (JSF/JCA) is political, aimed at protecting our position on the world stage. So be it - I'm not a politician and don't properly understand such issues.
However, if the choice has to be made between quality of life and new kit, surely we (them, the govt...) owe it to our people (us, the services...) to make the pain as brief as possible. It seems to me that the JSF programme is increasingly becoming an albatross around our collective necks, and that we ought to be brave and step away from the programme. To me, it's time for a tough decision.
I think Rafale would be a sensible choice for our needs, but I admit that is largely based what I've read and seen in the media and here at my station rather than intimate knowledge of the air requirement or whatever it's called. Or in any case, there is enough existing and impressive technology available from other sources that we can look further afield than the JSF programme.
What do you think?