F35
[QUOTE=MSOCS;9668413]A 5th Gen Carrier aircraft for ~£98M per jet with growth for the next 40 years
Access and design input via Level 1 partnership
A jet with capability and upgrades which the UK could never afford on its own
Jobs for some 500 UK companies involved in manufacture
A projected return on investment of £2-3 for each £1 we put in (depends on total production run through-life) - 15% UK workshare in every ac off the line.
So, quite a lot actually. And that's without stating the mind-blowing combination of SA-fusion, networking and stealth-Enabled access. The weapons will come and Typhoon will take the mantle of GR4 weapons to mitigate your perceived 'gap'. Meanwhile, a whole host of excellent weapons will trickle down the F-35 pipeline for the next 4-5 decades.
So, yeah, a lot for the money UK has vested.[/QUOTE