UK dumping F-35B for F-35C?

http://m.telegraph.co.uk/article/5978437/

In a significant about turn the MoD has indicated that it will ditch the jump-jet version of Joint Strike Fighter in favour of the conventional model, as the planes for its two new aircraft carriers.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt from senior defence officials that an announcement will be made this autumn.

It seems like they have some confusion regarding the difference between the lift fan and the engine though

Defence jobs at risk as MoD drops jump jet fighter engine
Up to 750 British defence manufacturing jobs are at risk as the Ministry of Defence is expected to announce it will drop a Rolls Royce fighter engine in favour of a cheaper American alternative.

their reasoning

But senior MoD sources believe that choosing the CV variant over the B will give the Navy considerable advantages as the conventional fighter can fly further and carry a far bigger bomb payload.

. . .

Part of the reason for the change is the huge costs of developing and building the B version, , with each aircraft coming with a price tag of a projected 105 million with technological issues still to be resolved. The CV version is expected to cost an estimated 90 million leading to a saving of 2.2 billion.

. . .

But there have also been strong hints given that considerably less than the 150 proposed JSF will now be ordered with MoD sources suggesting that greater capability will mean fewer aircraft.

suuuuure, i believe that

more like, a smaller budget will mean fewer aircraft

The decision also comes with some risk as the Navy will be reliant on the Americans developing a new electro-magnetic catapult to launch the fighters off the carrier.

This is a real risk because the new catapult design is a major undertaking. It is not just a widget, said a defence aviation source. If it breaks then the planes can’t fly and the carrier is useless.

why would it be reliant on EM? the French are using steam . . .

In an official statement the MoD said: To maximise the flexibility that the carriers will offer over their service life, they are being built to an adaptable design that can operate both Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) and Carrier Variant (CV) type aircraft.

It added that the STOVL or B variant of the JSF remains our prefered solution.