@ WE
"The GR9 can perform a limited (fleet) air defence role " - limited being the operative word. SHAR had a radar and a rocket with legs, GR7/9 with heaters only and mk 1 eyeball... I know who I would put my money on out of those two in a scrap!
Lord West can speak up all he likes; if he were doing so as 'exRN' it would be interesting and worthwhile hearing his viewpoint.
But in this case it appears far more like political point scoring (he is a politician now, not an admiral and thus tarnished with the political brush) - ironic considering the only reason the harriers have been binned is because 'his' party overspent for 10 yrs, and under the same govt binned the RN Shar (which at the time had the same backlash from members of the RN).
UK Plc is watering down our global role in line with what we can afford - which is not much... sad, but true.