Stuff it between the BLACKOUT blind and window.

A missile armed interceptor isn't the only tool in the box of course, in this case it was a mere contingency for a non-UK carrier inbound to the UK with a very loosely defined threat situation on board. I'm not sure why people can't grasp this. We were an awfully, awfully long way from a shoot down of a civil airliner and the whole thing was relatively routine. The Typhoon was there just in case, what's wrong with that?

Jmmilner offers a good case as to why it's not that bad an idea to ensure that you don't routinely underestimate loosley defined threat situations.

Was only one Typhoon untilised or was there another shadowing the formation?

According to a Goat poster, two QRA aircraft took off from Coningsby but only one was seen close to the target, er, airliner.

The other probably behind at missile range?

That's the implication. Not ideal, over a populated area, but if needs must it would I suppose be a question of which was the lesser evil...

There's a cruddiest place in the country thread on the Goat - Morecambe, Blackpool and Barrow have been mentioned, although each would have required a substantial overshoot.

The second jet is there as back up to the first in case it goes `tech` or has to pull off to be `tankered `.No more no less....the rest are urban myths

I thought he was there to take pretty pictures of the offending aircraft and the QRA.