With apologies for stirring up the thread drift, a chap I once knew in naval stores was influential in getting a replacement gearbox down to Invincible during her passage south in '82.
I do know that it was flown down by Herc (and I believe sourced from Gib), but I've often wondered how did they ever actually get the thing aboard? Flown to Ascension and barged across? Or was a Chinook able to lift it?
But in answer to the modern day quandry, I suspect UK jets out on sandy ops would simply be rotated, all be it shipped home rather than trailed if U/S.
Quite happy to be contradicted though
Cooch