Originally Posted by
Heathrow Harry
I'd keep them if the money was there - but it's not
I'd be interested to hear exactly which bit of the money "isn't there", given that the ships are essentially paid for. There are 30 of the F/W aircraft on order (apparently) and that the manpower for the ships and the air squadrons is already there and part of the existing budget.
There are still manning challenges to overcome, but that is primarily recruitment / retention in pinch trades against authorised strength - as opposed to completely new money.
There's an awful lot of myth and legend about. Don't forget that the "options" which started this thread are also primarily about freeing up money for the cyber / spook wish-list in a financially neutral NSCR, not as a direct result of QE/F35.