Courtney,
I have to take exception to your last post here for a few reasons which can cloud things. I'm assuming you're not trolling either, though as an ex air defender (Nav?) you could be baiting the muds, so here goes:
Har can't do anything as well as Tornado or Typhoon, except use short runways and we haven't got much in that way now
Utter bolleaux! How about...CAS - which, incidentally, has been the predominant FJ mission for the past 10 years! 'Har' was better than both of GR4 and Typhoon at CAS! The USMC wouldn't still use the AV-8B II it if it wasn't designed as such; it'd scrap both its Harriers and the flat tops and go big deck with more F/A-18s if it wasn't the case. Why was it better? Harrier had bags of thrust, excellent manoeuvrability and fuel efficiency, eye-watering serviceability and a man-machine interface (weapons, targeting pod) that was truly a work of art in GR9. Tornado GR - Deep strike, low and fast in IMC over the east European plains...awesome at it too. F3? Was a good interceptor when it finally got good radar software and AIM-120 (arguably too late!) Typhoon FGR? Awesome at A-D but currently struggling to fulfil the same A-G capability of the GR4/GR9 Disagree? Speak to the Op ELLAMY GR4 crews who had to hold their hands when bombing. Will Typhoon be good at CAS? Probably one day but right now it isn't. Paveway IV is a giant stride towards that goal but it also needs a low collateral, moving target capability and an optimised cockpit, ergonomically speaking - that's critical. Now, GR4 is a very capable platform for CAS but not optimised for it - give it another 5000lbs of thrust (or EJ200s!) and it would be superb!
Does the above change the price of fish? Not at all, but please don't embarass yourself with misinformed opinions.
Oh, and did the RAF kill FAA? Must have missed that headline in the news somewhere....
Kill the thread, please. It's like debating the validity of the debrief after the event - does nobody any good. Move on...