A fleet of P8, WedgeTail and LSRS would be an excellent solution to current MOD air ISTAR optimisation work, with many benefits across the Defence Lines Of Development. Although each platform will fall short of UK requirements in some areas, overall 3 viable solutions.
Unfortunately, cost of ownership is outside the current funding bubble for ISTAR unless we do something radical like rent the platforms. It may be possible along C-17 lines.
Also I am sure the lack of UK content will bring out the MPs with vested interest in UK jobs. I note that MOD has stated that it is not there to keep the UK defence industry in work but unfortunately MOD is a subordinate department and political considerations will prevail.
We need leadership with vision and courage (and funding) to make big decisions and not fiddle around the margins. A Big Bang approach (retire sentinel and E3 earlier than planned) is required. Unfortunately, Boeing would, I suspect, only be able to trickle ac to the UK as they seem to have full order books so some fleet components would it be able to fulfil concurrency requirements for some time.