Actually on the day in question DC stood up and said what a wonderful job TYPHOON was doing in AFG - which kind of says it all really!!
Actually, he didn't. This is what he said.
The Royal Air Force will also need to take some tough measures in the coming years to ensure a strong future. We have decided to retire the Harrier, which has served this country so well for 40 years. It is a remarkably flexible aircraft, but the military advice is clear: we should sustain the Tornado fleet as that aircraft is more capable and better able to sustain operations in Afghanistan.
The figures for Harrier mission availability came from a senior naval officer. The figures for Tornado availability came from a senior RAF officer. My comment did not blame and should not be taken as blaming Tornado air crew for the situation. Why would they be to blame for the limitations of the aircraft? It merely questioned the sense of the current situation and the continued arguments from the Tornado side that the aircraft is, to use the prime minister's words, "more capable" of operating in Afghanistan than Harrier.