Once again the RAF has lost out on 10 years of capability due to a poor decision being made at higher level. The Jaguar 96 HMS was developed for the Tornado F3 in 2001. This was mainly to achieve the 'high off boresight' shots that ASRAAM would provide. It was, however, possible to slew the radar, TIALD pod, or any other sensor to the helmet. Equally it was possible to be cued visually to any object being tracked by a sensor. The software was written by SMT, ground trialled and ready for flight trail. The 1553 data bus was installed in an OEU aircraft. At the last minute the plug was pulled on the programme due to cost. Although not admitted publicly there was concern that the programme would compromise the 'already slipping' Typhoon in servive date. At the time the GR1/4 force stated that they did not need an HMS and could not see the benifit. Why are the RAF so short sighted and stovepipe their ideas to one role or platform. Maybe it is because every officer from Sqn Cdr to CAS has spent the last 10 years defending his own platform at all costs, no mater how wrong those decisions were?