Vertical launch methods seem long overdue for aircraft delivery. That wouldn’t disturb the orbit around the target. Then again I’m also the proponent of a turreted gun for COIN operations so that aircraft never have to overfly their targets, they merely fly at standoff range plinking their prey.

The Dornier Do335 was a twin engine fighter, so its not really an appropriate answer in this case.

If the MiG is tracking then he’s still heading for the target. It’s not like he can avoid that reality. Plus your effective ability to track the target at such a high angle is significantly reduced, so in reality the MiG may not even be able to launch anywhere near the maximum range of the missile it carries.

In the Iran-Iraq war the Iraqis sent their F1E’s after the F-14 by exploiting the weak signal at the periphery of its scan. The F-14 wouldn’t even become aware that the F1E, itself protected by ECM gear, was sneaking within missile range until it was too late. The Iranians lost a few in this regard. Undoubtedly, the MiG-31 having a situational advantage over an F-14 will win the battle. If they have equal awareness then I’m putting my money on the F-14 surviving. In both situations I feel the MiG has an equally excellent chance of survival, that is unless it does something to negate its advantages.

It was NOT too costly to maintain two production lines. It was profitable to maintain the Mirage 2000 line. However, the government didn’t want to undermine Rafale sales abroad so they would not authorize further production for export. Dassault could not maintain the line without orders.

The SE’s CFTs probably require a 1760-MIL-STD bus. I’d be surprised if they are backwards compatible with many existing F-15’s. Just a thought to keep in mind.

Has Mirage 2000 ever been photographed in flight with an EF Typhoon?

The whole idea of buying jointly with the French was to drive down costs, so I don’t advocate shrinking the actual ship. No, I think your government should use the Typhoons it already paid for and pare as much of the future order as possible. Instead of buying new Typhoons the goal should be to maintain numbers while cutting costs. Used Gripens allow the MOD to continue their weapons programs – Meteor, ASRAAM, Storm Shadow, etc. – without having to keep paying for Typhoons it doesn’t need. AND the UK needs to look at buying the F-35A, in 2020 rather than reinventing a new stealth fighter before they move to UAV fighters. It’s not about dropping to second place, it’s about fitting a budget to scale with the actual threat.