F3 had been guarding the Falkalnds prior to that - so it's just an upgrade of aircraft really. Interestingly, the RAF have been toying with the idea of 2 seat Typhoons - as the F3 benefits from an extra pair of eyes and someone else to double check and operate systems while the driver points the thing around the sky.
We should be looking more into multi-role platforms. Personally, I think the MRA4 should go into theatre as soon as it's ready. The long-term intelligence it can offer on station will be invaluable to troops on the ground. Not to mention it can carry every weapon in the RAF arsenal, as well as perform nearly 3/4 of the RAF's tasks. A Nimrod at FLNoseBleed over Afghanistan with a bomb bay full of paveways and a designator could provide Combat ISTAR - intelligence and CAS; staying on task for over 6 hours with ease.
Just inter-fleet banter, playing devils advocate etc!