“or that EMCAT works and they will switch to catapult based fighter, in either scenario the high cost of keeping the Harrier’s running is just not worth the extra cost.”
Can we put this one to bed now?. The ONLY criteria that will see a CATOBAR conversion for CVF-01 as completed is a total cancellation of F-35B. Returning to catapult operation throws away the whole operational concept of UK Carrier Strike as currently defined.
We will not put ourselves back in the situation of tying ourselves down to the need to maintain deck qualified pools of pilots, with reduced sortie rates, reduced airframe lives and higher shipboard operational costs just on a whim to say a few million quid per airframe.
I hate this – Strike Carrier’s are one of the worst decisions we ever made. We have tied ourselves into a situation where our carrier operations are hamstrung and limited in their capacity. You want a Carrier that can really do something let’s make it a Fleet Carrier and stop talking rubbish.
Our navy needs its own Fix Wing back and the RAF need to be reduced drastically in their importance and influence. The fact we use Sea King AEW is a disgrace that will one day leave us exposed to serious threats.
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