"I see no reason why the UK would sacrifice its investment in the F35"
Apart from the fact that it would save a bomb on the carrier design and construction... and that Rafale or F-35C can bring Storm Shadow back to the boat, which F-35B can't... and that the only decisive advantage of the F-35B is manned first-day stealth with effectively the same warheads and precision as a pair of Storm Shadows ... and that in non-LO configuration with external stores the F-35 is slower, less agile and less well protected (no towed decoy, no active ECM) than a non-LO fighter... and that it will never carry six AAMs plus an A-G load... and that LO will be entertaining on the B model with all those big doors operating in a high-noise, hot, high-vibe environment...
Nosir no reasons at all