A British F-14 changes the fighter succession

How long would Britain keep F-14s bought instead of Tornado F3s, and what might replace them?

Britain would probably retain them for a long time, institutionalizing a separate long-range fighter fleet and perhaps creating a path toward operating the F-22.

The F-14 would probably serve for many years despite demanding maintenance. Buying it would formalize a separate fighter force alongside strike aircraft, shaping what the RAF sought in the next generation. Britain could have afforded the aircraft if it made that political choice; official cost language often means another option was preferred, not that purchase was literally impossible. Continued trust and experience with an American high-end fighter might even make Britain the only foreign operator considered for the F-22.