CM,
It does seem to have been something of a media hobby since the report of ADV Tornados flying around with concrete lumps in the nose, no amount of reassurance that all from the 19th airframe onwards would have a functioning radar while the first 18 would be retrofitted. Particularly our own popular press love to latch onto any released data which may suggest any encountered hiccup along the road of development, often resulting in needlessly perilous stories. Mind you, long before the Foxhunter/Blue Circle issue, there was sufficient concern among the more rarified levels of command that UK air defence would be better served with a mixed fighter force consisting of F-15s, F-16s or F-14s with a smaller number of ADVs. Each of the American options was discounted on either cost (F-15 and F-14) or ineffectiveness for long range AD patrols (F-16). Their concerns at the time I don't recall getting into the public domain, but they were actively seeking an alternative, at least in part.
FB
