"Well overdue program that doesn't seem to be able to redeem itself."
Overdue, certainly, but isn't every fighter programme? F-22 and JSF certainly are.
As it is the delayed ISD seems to have been good for budgets and for completing (or getting close to completing) some difficult development aircraft.
As to redeeming itself, the aircraft seemed to impress in Singapore, even if BAE's 'shambolic bid performance' did not, and even if Mindef eventually decided that there was too much risk that the advanced EOC1/2 A-G capabilities it thought it needed might not be available in the timescale promised. The capabilities it did demonstrate (especially radar range and the eye-watering exchange ratio against Sing F-16s apparently impressed the RSAF enough to disagree with Mindef.
It also seems to have redeemed itself with those lucky enough to be flying it, unless the RAF and the other partners have introduced a term at RADA as part of the OCU course.......
The frightening thing is how much misinformation and sheer malicious bollocks has been embedded in the minds of even those who should know better.
Until yesterday, I thought, like many, that the early Tranche 1 jets were incapable of being brought to a really useful op standard. I now know that all but a couple of Luftawffe jets are already under contract for a series of upgrades that will bring them to the full FOC standard (Block 5 with 'austere' A-G capability) and a further upgrade to Tranche 2 (Block 8) standards is cheap and easy enough that Austria's six T1 jets will be done at EF GmH's own expense.
And that is only the tip of the iceberg of damaging LM/Dassault propaganda and auto-foot shooting.
As to what Typhoon has been up to in the States, some of it is necessarily not something to shout about, but I understand that some achievements that could and should have been shouted from the rooftops seem to have been covered by the same security blanket. I believe that 17 haven't only fired ASRAAM, but getting confirmation of the alleged AMRAAM firings is like pulling teeth.
And no RAF jets have PIRATE yet.