The MOD examining the Tomcat and the RAF wanting it are two very different things.
Spot-on, though I’d invert the logic.
The ‘F-14 is untenable due to cost of Phoenix’ and ‘F-15 is a single-seater’ were both red herrings ciculated by the MoD & UK Gov because they wanted Tornado ADV for commonality and cost / commonality / employment reasons.
1. UK F-14 would have used Sidewinder / Sparrow / Skyflash, there was no requirement, need or desire for Phoenix in UK operations. The MoD knew this,
2. No-one can seriously imagine that rejigging the F-15B/D cockpit for UK-style two-man operation ( rear-seat WSO ) would have come anywhere near the cost of ADV development. The MoD knew this.
And when the MoD were pressed on comparative costs, they invoked National Security redaction to avoid answering directly:
“At present,” he went on, “the ADV has an estimated unit production cost of £6.492
million. If we amortize the direct ADV development over that, it would add a
further * * * , which gives a direct ADV investment of * * * .”
…
On the F-14 we have a figure of probably £10 million plus whatever we are
charged for development levy and any other amortized costs. On the F-15 we
think that the current cost is about £7 million to which, again, one would
have to add development levy and other charges.”
3. Later, the rejection stories were augmented by claims that AWG-9 and APG-63 were more susceptible to ECM than Foxhunter, which was quite a claim in 1977 when no Foxhunter existed.
But in both cases the RAF was denied the better aircraft for fiscal / political reasons. Remember also that UK workshare on IDS was dependent on total UK Tornado orders.
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