Widger, your observation about Typhoon's obsolescence must be either
1) A Wah
2) A slightly unfortunate example to use when suggesting that JN is engaging in the art of communication via his rectum
3) Evidence that you are Lewis Page and I can claim my five pounds...
Now I disagree with JN (I will confess to having said in print that if the UK is serious about expeditionary ops it requires CVF), in that if spending on quangos were to be reduced by just 5% and reallocated to defence - which would have no implications for the NHS, education, transport or anything else other than the well-remunerated quango members - we would be able to afford both CVF and Tranche 3 without any difficulty.
Quangos received £24.1 billion in 1997, and the Iron Chancellor promised "a bonfire of the quangos and greater democracy" and a reduction in spending to more sensible levels - before, over the course of the next ten years increasing spending upon these undemocratic and unnecessary bodies by £100 billion.
However, that notwithstanding, the idea that Typhoon will be made obsolete by JCA is, I fear, somewhat far-fetched - particularly if one CVF is in refit/dock and the other several thousand miles away from a crisis and multi-role aircraft are needed fairly smartly.We need both Typhoon and CVF, and arguing about which capability to cut gives comfort only to the Treasury and a variety of barely-accountable governance bodies. And lesser enemies of the realm...