You must admit though, this a/c was ordered back in the Cold War days. I agree that the development and procurement programmes for these a/c are very long, but surely the Governement of the time has the right to adapt and retain some level of flexibility over up and coming orders?
After all...Flexibility is the key to air support and all that!!
The question is though, does the UK really need 232 Typhoons? As has been said before, why not go it with the yanks and obtain air-sup. then arm the tankers and uav's with Storm Shadow, Brimstone etc. Is there any real need these days for expensive delivery platforms when so much ordanance seems to be of the standoff fire and forget nature?
Going in fast and low seems to be a cold war relic along with the Typhoon. Why risk pilot lives when you can make the weapons themselves autonomous? I know that this is not what mud mover pilots want to hear, but this is the way of the future is it not?
The key ablility needs to be for an Army to get to the place of battle in the first place. With four C17's and 25 J models and a few K models left as our AT why not invest in more of these types of a/c? At the end of the day it's forces on the ground that keep the ground and police it. Air power goes along way to help them achieve this goal, but it doesn't retain ground in its self!