Wrathmonk
Playing Devils advocate here...... go with one of your suggestions, scrap the F3 fleet!
Accept the 'capability gap' until the Typhoon is fully established (Typhoon doing it's first Q soon I believe). The F3 is already planned for retirement. The precident of 'capability gaps' is set, and are we expecting massed bomber raids on the UK in the next two years? Just a thought....
On another issue I would have thought the Americans are getting through Predators at such a rate that there is an annual buy. Tacking a UK order within/onto that shouldn't be beyond the wit of man.