We have had several posts on here alluding to our aircraft carrier situation.

Can anyone clarify the situation as it stands? This is how I understand it, but please correct me.

At the moment we only have operational carrier-borned helicopters. Invincible & Ark Royal have gone. I believe that HMS Ocean and Illustrious are operatung these helicopters. What's the future of these ships?

Meanwhile we are building 2 new fixed-wing carriers (PoW and QE). These were originally intended for the STOVL F-35 Lighting II. The carriers will now be re-engineered to operate "regular" naval F-35s (i.e. steam catapult & arrestor wires). When are these carriers due for completion and potential comissioning? We will immediately mothball one to save money, because we cannot withdraw from the construction deal.

The "regular" naval F-35 is having severe development problems. What is the latest forecast for us getting these operational? There has been talk of procuring Rafale or A/F-18 as an interim measure. So that presumably means vastly more expenditure than anticipated.

Assuming much of the above is correct, it sounds like we budgeted for two fully operational STOVL F-35 equipped carriers by the end of this decade, which would keep us going for a good 40-odd years at a guess. What we're actually getting will be one operational carrier with no fixed-wing aircraft at all for many years unless we order (or lease) a completely different type of aircraft at huge extra cost to the tax payer.

Does this seem like a good deal to you?

About right but, then, it was ever thus with Naval procurement - look at the Deadnought programme in the Edwardian era & the inter-war ship-building. Even in war-time it is chaotic - HMS Vanguard was cancelled at least twice once construction had started in WW2.

Things getting noisy in the Falklands - or a serious prospect thereof - might jolly things along a bit.

We have not spent "billion" on a navalised Typhoon - it's a concept that hasn't seen the light of day.

Yup. Just some artists impressions and models.
Rafale M however is already operational with a range of stores inc Exocet & Scalp. Typhoon is a poor shadow of a swing role aircraft at the mo in comparison. Whilst it may have potential - someone will have to pay to integrate Harpoon as opposed to Exocet, Storm Shadow (Skalp UK), Brimstone (French have AADS) [Yul Bryner in the King & I] et cetera, et cetera, et cetera [/Yul]

No, we spent billions on ineffectually bribing Indian defence officials. But that's a different thread.

You forgot Rule 4: Should be fine, but double the thickness just in case.

Carrier operations require constant practice. Given that the govt took the decision to scrap our only one long before a replacement would be ready (and give all the Harriers away), the years of expensively built up operational experience will be permanently lost.

If and when we ever get another carrier, it will be at least a decade before it becomes usable in any useful form. I think they'll sell both of them before they commission them in any case.

Sea Tyhoon is complete non-starter.

There is a rumour though that, enquiries have been made about the navalised Saab Gripen that Saab were/are trying to sell to the Brazilian Navy among others. Unlike the Tyhoon, the Gripen does have a structure more suited to navalising, being developed for the rough-field away from base operations the Swedes do, and Saab have actually undertaken design to create a Sea Gripen.

Athough, a Super Bug buy to me is still the most sensible option anyway (we don't NEED F-35) I think a Sea Gripen or Rafale M buy would be more likely if the F-35 continues having the problems in prgramme, and cost escallation that it looks likely to have.

Sod anti ship missiles, It's a single terrorist in a kayak filled with C4 we need to worry about, and he'll be moving far too slowly for Phalanx to trigger...

Don't we have some sort of share in the Gripen anyway? Regardless, it always strikes me as a neat little machine.