You are about 100% out on the expected WLC. The planned life of the carriers is 30 years. There is a stretch target of 50 years, but that is not funded and would probably have to include a replacement of the air wing with a new type with itīs own R&D and procurement costs. That works out at over Ģ515 million per ship per year. Since you are making comparisons the army puts the cost of an army regiment at about Ģ17.5 million a year - so thatīs the equivalent of 25 regiments gone, just to have a single carrier, just in case. I think general Dannatt would be happy with a fraction of that....
Select Committee on Defence, Second Report:
..........At the core of the Carrier Strike capability are the Future Aircraft Carriers (CVF), the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) and the Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC) projects.[4] The United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to meet the JCA requirement. JSF is a US-led programme.[5] The current estimate of whole life costs[6] for the core projects of the Carrier Strike capability is Ģ31 billion, which includes some Ģ12 billion of acquisition costs.[7]