Letter: Eurofighter wins

Sir: Towards the end of his diatribe against the Eurofighter, your business editor uses the phrase "given the existence of viable alternatives ..." (business comment, 23 December)

There have always been only three alternatives to Eurofighter: to abdicate all defensive/offensive roles for the RAF, leaving it as simply a military air transport arm; to purchase Russian MiG and Sukhoi aircraft, which might well be the cheapest way of providing Strike Command with an ongoing role, but Russian aircraft do not enjoy the best reputation for reliability or support; or to purchase American aircraft - you have already pointed out that the F22 costs twice as much as Eurofighter, and to become dependent on America for one's military needs is a long and expensive road.

Any of these alternatives has all the following results: the irrevocable loss of Britain's military air export business; the loss of about 100,000 jobs in the aviation sector; and the progressive loss of military aviation technology feeding into civil aviation.

A M M HODGES

Richmond, Surrey