Spaz wrote ''I'm patient to wait for testing of the fix mooted. People can speculate how they wish until tests show otherwise. After the land testing comes the carrier testing slated for 2013. In the meantime....''
Spaz, thats fine, and entirely correct from a purely engineering point of view - but this isn't a purely engineering problem, its also a military asset problem where time (and at this stage, credibility) is the crux issue. saying 'oh, we'll find out in 2013 if its going to be problem that requires a complete redesign of the rear half of the aircraft' isn't much use when we're a mere 20 days into 2012, and the current delay in the system, let alone the delay forced by having to completely redesign the bugger, means that these aircraft won't be available to protect UK national interests - which, lets remember, is their one and only function and raison d'etre - until 2020 at least.
i remember when JSF was going to be a fielded force by 2012 , could be maintained at a rough field location by three men, and would cost $60m apiece. i'm afraid that at this stage 'oh, we'll find out next year if we have to redesign the aircraft' isn't the correct answer.