I wouldn't write off the CAS so lightly. Yes, Typhoon is the latest toy in the arsenal and gets all the glamour breaks, by you don't get to be an ACM [and CAS at that] without being well aware of the issues surrounding ALL fleets and their operations.
I don't know the man, but what I've heard from guys on the fast pointy things is that Sir Glenn is no slouch. I have no doubt he reads this thread to get a feel for how things are perceived at grass roots level, and I wouldn't mind betting that he has raised this issue at a very high level within the MOD.
The unfortunate part about it is that he and the other Service Chiefs are often lip-buttoned by the politicians and the advice of very sernior civil servants. He can do far more behind the scenes quietly than he can by shooting his mouth off in public and embarrassing the govt - it was tried before, remember, and the individual was firmly and publically locked back in his box with a large dose of humiliation thrown in.
As usual, the politicians will want to make the bad image go away and save face at the same time. Remember that this is not an issue for the great unwashed British public, who is more interested in Joe Bloggs who got caught for shoplifting last week and upped the local crime statistics.
Nige and Chappie are going about things the right way, talking to those that count and bringing the pressure to bear where it can do most good. Every interview that Nige has had will have been reported up the chain with positive comment as to his credibility because of his background; Chappie's comment because of the loss of a family member and giving Nige her full support.
The loss of the Herc will have focussed minds on the vulnerability of the non-pointy fleets. The groundswell of professional opinion will have high level of MOD attention on the question of protection systems/devices. The issue at stake is releasing the funding to do something about it and in timely fashion; the latter could prove to be problematical, because those companies capable of carrying out the modifications may not have the capacity to achieve the DESIRED timelines.
I believe it will happen, but not as fast as we would like. What we DO need, and what would scotch much of the discussion and adverse publicity, is a credible statement on WHAT and WHEN it is going to be done.
How about it CAS?