Originally Posted by
SLXOwft
Yes, no 'jet powered STOL UAV' in 2023 - but the RFI is about the launch and recovery systems; the air vehicles to be launched and recovered vehicles aren't just those available at that time, this is a long term capability.
And that makes quite lot of sense. It is foreseeable that In the next two decades numerous types of UAV will be developped. Of those >90% without STOVL capability. Thus, preparing for CATOBAR would open up way more options for usefull Flightdeck decoration. And each of these things will be way cheaper (and more performant) than if it has to do the Harrier.