"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

The story as it ran in the Aero-News email letter this morning:

UK Eurofighter Gets The Ax
One-Third Cut In British Defense Spending Puts Warplane On
Hiatus


It's late, over budget and now, out
of date. The British procurement of the so-called Eurofighter is
over.


Which is contradictory in itself since the one third cut would
be the third tranche which is not due to be ordered until 2007


The Eurofighter -- Britain's version is called the Typhoon --
"is a dead duck. Unfortunately we are stuck with it, but there is
no way this Government is going to buy any more. It's expensive and
obsolete."


That word came from a senior Defense Ministry official quoted in
the London Daily Telegraph. British military leaders apparently
agreed with the assessment, but only after being assured the
savings would be spent on UCAVs, smart missiles and other high-tech
weapons systems.


Two phases of the Typhoon deployment have already been carried
out. So far, 144 aircraft have been delivered. The first 55 --
air-combat only -- were six years late. The second batch of 89
aircraft, which have ground-attack capabilities, has yet to be
delivered.


So we've delivered 144 aircraft. Can somebody tell me where they are?


All Eurofighters are now grounded because of engine
problems.


No they were grounded on October 14 as a result of a brake failure


There are even questions about the need for a Eurofighter fleet.
Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, the former Chief of the Defence Staff
who retired earlier in the year, was skeptical of the need for more
Eurofighters. He asked in an interview with the Telegraph, "Do we
need to have 232 fighters in the modern context?" His point is
this: UCAVs -- unmanned combat aerial vehicles -- will star
replacing manned aircraft within 20 years. That's just a few years
after the final batch of Eurofighters are due to enter service.
FMI: www.eurofighter.com



Boyce was well known in the forces as anti anything that the Royal Navy
didnt have.

Duncan Sandys said the same thing in the 50's as I recall

Plus Ca Change.Plus Ca Meme Chose

Keith