Is the RAF "anti-cannon" ?
Now hear me out here for a second, this is a half-baked theory I'll admit, but I've been idly mulling it for many years.
In the 1950s British designers outfitted our early jets first with the very handy Hispano Mk V typically in a 4 gun configuration, and then we graduated to the venerable ADEN 30mm in first 2 and then impressive 4 gun installations in a wide variety or aircraft (Swift, Hunter, Jaguar, Lightning etc etc).
But then missiles happened.
The gunless Lightning F.3 appeared, and I seem to recall talk that the only reason the Jaguar had any cannon was because the French insisted, ditto our partners on the Tornado project. The Harrier started life with guns but they gradually seemed to disappear. Then when additional space was required in the Tornado F.3 what was the first appliance to be removed to make way - one of the cannon of course. Then finally there was the Typhoon - there was a proposal on cost grounds in 1999 to limit the 27mm cannon fit to only the first 53 batch-1 aircraft destined for the RAF, on the understanding that the guns would be used as ballast and not used operationally, this decision only being reversed in 2006.
So all this is just a personal impression you understand, but I have always had the impression that from about 1960 onwards the RAF didn't really much care for cannon armed aircraft.
For those of you who were actually at the sharp end and not flying the Mark 1 Sofa as I did during those years - does this impression hold any water in your opinion ?