Thanks LO. You stay away from my End, thanks very much. I know where you've been.
That's interesting stuff, certainly.
I wonder whether Beedall's predictions still represent the pie in the sky (sorry official) aspiration.
"The MOD currently expects that the first early production standard F-35B's will be delivered to the UK in 2012 (2 test aircraft will be completed in 2011), the JCA will formally enter service in December 2014 (with 10 aircraft delivered), the Harrier GR.9 will go out of service (OSD) in 2017, and that JCA deliveries will be completed with the delivery of unit 150 in about 2024. The UK plans to form the JCA Intensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU) by 2014, with carrier compatibility trials taking place on the first of the new CVF's - HMS Queen Elizabeth - during the second half of the year. Assuming an aggressive timeline, we can expect the IFTU to become the Operational Evaluation Unit (OEU) squadron in early 2015, a training squadron (Operational Conversion Unit - OCU) to form later in 2015; and the first front-line Harrier GR.9 squadron (800 or 801 NAS) to begin converting to the F-35B in 2016, becoming operational in 2017, with the other squadrons following at roughly one year intervals."
So GR9 endex is 2017, leaving four squadrons without an aircraft, only one of which will become op on JCA that year, and one more of which will be converting.
After the revelation about eight aircraft squadrons for FOA, I wonder how big these first four JCA units will be......?