Originally Posted by
EAP86
The CSAS was very good for 60s technology but was far too complex and had too high a parts count to be truly reliable. A modern FBW system would have addressed these issues but it would have been almost impossible to justify the cost versus the limited benefits. The Luftwaffe were considering a proper upgrade as part of their efforts to achieve their 2030 OSD. I've no idea whether this is still the case.
EAP
I was AV on Tornado for over 20 years and I can't remember a jet return in Mech Mode once, in that respect CSAS was exceptionally reliable. Minor failures were more common but it was the GMR that caused the most pain in my experience. Thank god for 12 sided dice
As for conversion, the cost would surely have been the major stopper.