Alternate Eurofighter squadrons?

[Nick]

As we all know, the Eurofighter Typhoon was intended to enter service by 1998 and not 2003 as was the reality. My question is this:

With the 5 year delay in delivery, were there any changes as to which RAF squadrons took the Typhoon on charge?
Were any squadrons disbanded instead of getting the Typhoon?

[upnorth]

Difficult to say.

I would hazard to say that 5 Squadron likely would have been a Typhoon squadron had it come in on time. Instead, 5 was disbanded and reformed as the Sentinel R.1 unit.

I think you also might have seen 6 Squadron transition straight onto the Typhoon from the Jaguar rather than be temporarily stood down as they were.

Another unit I can see as a distinct possibility for Typhoon operations is 56. I think would have the seniority among units to be a prime candidate for the Typhoon. Instead, it has ended up as a reserve "shadow squadron" to one of the Tornado F.3 units. Had the Typhoon come in when it was supposed to, I suspect you'd see 56 go to it directly from Phantoms and not have anything to do with the Tornado at all.

Actually, I think we might have actually seen both 56 and 74 as Typhoon users if it had come in on time.

19 might also have been a strong candidate for the Typhoon, I think it also had sufficient seniority among units to have been a consideration for it.