Mrmalaya, we understand this is the early stages….Bae’s commitment is £2.7 billion over a number of years…getting partners is important for a number of reasons, including political support, not just finance.

Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica) which is one of the top 10 defence contractors in the world (order book €33 billion). The Italian state has a one third stake in the company and has a commitment to help social cohesion. Italian government support would be one way to help their economy and to help provide employment in hi-tech sectors.

You will remember the two new carriers were ordered by a Labour government!…..Gordon Brown was pleased to spend £ billions to help Scottish shipyards…..BAe can take a leaf out of LM who’ve spread their plants over 40 states to get support in Congress….The 2020 elections are by no means a forgone conclusion….in any case Jeremy Corbyn might surprise a few people by supporting hi-tech jobs in conventional weapon programmes.

Tony, we are talking of the Edinburgh branch of Leonardo, the old GEC Marconi, the chaps who design and build the Vixen radar series, the Typhoon radar, etc.

That incredible moment when the coverage of the unveiling of “Team Tempest” and the UK´s Combat air strategy is vastly better done by the chaps of the Key Publishing Forum than by the likes of Janes, Key Aero, AW and Flight Global…

Yes. The referendum will happen in spring 2020, while the aircraft and SAM system will be chosen at the end of the same year by the government. I’m actually not sure if the budget itself will be voted on, but there isn’t much room here unless cut are done in othe critical part of the army.

Thats a huge plus for the most capable (and expensive) platforms. With the Swiss MOD not having to go through a gruelling referendum AFTER the platform has been chosen they can aim for the most capable ones, unlike the last time when they choose the cheapest.

Which brings me to another question: have any of the RAF’s Typhoons so far been conserved/stored?

Allegedly 149 Typhoons of all tranches have been delivered to RAF so far. Some have been lost in accidents, but are also some just not used actively?

No, no RAF Phoon has been stored.

The windshield comes down and then there are 2 spherical bumps protruding out. Very questionable setup. RCS compromising.

We have a RCS specialist right here…
Your “analysis” come from where? Southfront or are you using the “eyeometer”?

there are more nations currently with Mig 29’s in service than there is of F-16’s in service.

You are not very good at checking

one F-16i was completely downed & one F-15 was damaged and something happened to an F-35.

One F-16I was shot down; Al Arabiya TV reported that one F-15I was damaged, the claim was based on its “own sources”; acording to the IDF/AF a bird struck an F-35 or vice versa and finally that highly “credible” site Southfront made a bonfire of it all…
Amusing, if someone goes to the SU-57 topic and starts with sillyness about Syria, Sukhoi´s, Raptors and F-35´s, your reaction is “YOURE A TROLLLLLL“, but in the DAVE topic, good old KGB goes “a F-16 was downed, one F-15 was damaged” and “the F-35 was hit in Syria”… Based on… bleeding South Front!