Considering that when the RN withdrew from the Horizon project they throughout everything except for ASTOR and the LRR I think they have got it becouse they want it and think its neccesary.

Unfortunately I think we can rule out the Rafale and Typhoon on the basis of cost, the F-16 becouse Pakistan is getting them. I would be surprised if the Super Hornet was procured. So I still think that this will be a two horsed race between the Mig and the Mirage, with the Mig now looking likr the real thoroughbread, with TVC and possibly even AESA now looking more an more likely.

Without a doubt the F-15K is currently the premier combat aircraft in the region, probably in the whole of Asia, The only plane on the horizon which will take its place is Singapores F-15SG.

To a certain extent I agree with Cliff, the UK killed its own aerospace industry and now its reaping the benefits.
If I was in charge of the UK defence budget and had vast sums of money to spend I would take the Replica programme and get BAe to put the Typhoons avionics and engines in it.

I agree with Crobato, go for an F-15E, with the APG-63V4 radar and the 32,000lb thrust engines of the F-16E/F, and the goodies that the F-15K/SG have got and then look at the F-22 in a few years time.

The statistics for the MFE are already superior to those for the BARS-29, the MFE can track 33% more targets if I remember correctly.
If the Russians do indeed fly AESA Mig-29/35 radar in 2007 I think it will be very difficult for the IAF to resist the Mig-35.

The engine bit definately isnt true, the J-8II uses the same engines as the J-7 which are based on the engines of the Mig-21. I have my doubts about the Ye-152 claim you mentioned becouse development of that aircraft stopped in the 1960s, some 20 years before the SU collapsed, its seems somewhat bizzare that the chinese would want 20 year old technology, especially when the J-10 was then under development.
Based on the limited amount of info available in the public domain there seems to have been very little structural change between any of the J-8II variants.

Now that sounds plausable, wish I was as clever as you!!!
Still wondering whether it is likely to be found on any other flnkers, oh well, im sure time will tell.