Why We Need The Eurofighter Typhoon

This picture and link are just a little riposte to all the commentators and pundits - both anti-defence spending Labourites and anti-European defence collaboration Tories - who have criticised the MoD's procurement of the Eurofighter Typhoon over the years. The usual theme has been "it's a Cold War era aircraft, why do we need it now?"

In the picture is Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, scourge of the Jedi, master of the dark side of the Force and one of the Emperor's most trusted servants. Just in a friendly way of course. He wasn't always a fearsome enforcer. He began life as Anakin Skywalker, a young slave from Tatooine skilled in piloting and strong in the Force. His mother, Shmi, revealed that there was no biological father. Inexplicably, she became pregnant with the Force-prodigy and carried him to term. Some among the Jedi believed this to be part of an ancient prophecy of a Chosen One, willed into life by the midi-chlorians, who would bring balance to an increasingly darkening Force. There was another possibility, though. The child could have been the creation of sinister Sith manipulations, as the Dark Lords Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious conspired to bring about the perfect apprentice by coaxing life from lifelessness. Once discovered by maverick Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin was taken before the Jedi Council to be trained. There was some controversy on the subject - despite Jinn's adamant assurances that Skywalker was one spoken of in the prophecy, the council was hesitant to allow his training at the age of nine. Finally, the Council agreed that Anakin should be trained, and he was assigned to Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi recklessly thought that he could be as skilful a master as Yoda. His mistakes had dire consequences for the galaxy.

When your strategic rivals from the Empire start sending invincible hardware to carry out Sith missions probing your airspace, using spacecraft that carry the Masters of the Dark Force, perhaps having bought aircraft good enough to get up there and respond looks like a good idea.