Stupid question time.
'ow do chaps,
not being aviation related (ex Scaley ) , I have a rather odd question.
Money aside ( stupid thing to say ) , why not replace Captor in the Batch 1 airframes with a lesser sized/demanding AESA radar such as the Grippen or F16 radars that are in production ?
I rather suspect that the Batch 1 aircraft will be kept longer as there will be no realistic replacement soonish and airframe hours on later versions will be carefully husbanded.
Before anybody mentions the F35 as a replacement , whether it is appropriate or not , it and further Typhoons appear to be equally unaffordable.