The Syrian response has shown that the electorate have no appetite for the UK Mil to jump into any future conflict without very good reason. Once we are consolodated back home, there may not be a demand for an overborn AT fleet.
Exercising around the world will keep things ticking over but a new era dawns in 2015, and things are bound to change. I understand (from the Defence Minister) that there is an appetite to have a MPA on line before 2020 with proposals as to how and what by 2015. 2020 is also the target year for the future air force across the board. Lets hope that there is no 'Rolex' on this one for they will have had long enough to make and impliment decisions. The purchase of another C17 now is probably the result of some cunning staffwork riding on the demise of VC10 and TriStar whilst they could. Timing is everything.