Originally Posted by
Not_a_boffin
It's a travesty compared with the exemplary progress of Typhoon, where the equivalent to Tier 1 signature was made in 1985 and the first aircraft hit the OEU in late 2003. Which would be 18 years....oh, wait.
Remember that the MRCA aircraft that they are ultimately replacing first flew in August 1974 and production Tornado were being delivered in 1979....