Gents,
Thanks for the early replies. One thing I would try to clarify is this. The 'Tempest' isn't yet a design, and probably not even a 'design study'. It's just a concept. Not a man-hour has yet been spent on actually designing the thing. Given that, what I'm offering for discussion isn't 'navalising' it, or 'adding VTOL' (by the way, VTOL certainly wouldn't be a required capability, given current propulsion technology - although STOVL might be).
What I'm offering as question is whether PPruners think that any eventual 'Tempest' should be designed from the outset to have the capability to operate in some way or another from the carriers. One could offer a few examples of successful combat aircraft that were able to operate from land and sea effectively - my list would be F-4, F/A-18, A-4, A-7, Buccaneer and Harrier. I'm sure I've missed a few.
I'm not saying that the Tempest should designed this way - I'm just genuinely interested in what other PPruners think of the idea.
Best regards as ever to the teams who turn requirements into reality
Engines