a VERY experienced RAF ISTAR type with a great deal of operational experience.
MM may well be, and in contrast I am certainly well past my sell by date, but I bet that deep down inside, if the pooh has hit the fan and it's a dark and stormy night and g** knows what is inbound, MM would rather have a radar/AMRAAM equipped fighter available on CAP rather than a clear airmass only weapons system that's got the equivalent capability to that which the early SHAR's had in '82.
Well, any capability is better than none.
No argument from me on that.