Changing the focus of discussion, I have been reading the Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual on the RAF Tornado and reading about the work up for deployment for Gulf War 1 in 1991 and the general introduction to service in the 1980s and thinking about how old fashioned so much of the technology sounds - for example the inability to launch "smart" munitions, that the radars in service with the RAF before the F3's was 1950s technology (ignoring the American technology in the F-4 Phantom and just looking at domestically produced kit) etc
Then I realise how long ago that all was, I was a child but reasonably military geeky (albeit still at primary school) when the first Gulf War happened and everything since has been a technology driver for military output as attempts are made to minimise boots on the ground and risk to our own forces while also lessening "collateral damage"
The RAF has now retired the Tornado earlier in 2019 after 40 years of service
I am saddened that the RAF no longer has a fighter aircraft with a back seater as I do think that the capability to have someone concentrating on flying while another looks at sensor data or coordinates from up close is worth having (the other aircraft that would benefit from that in my opinion is the A-10)
Now, here are some pictures from Wikipedia
