It wasn't the statistic, just the idea that RN frontline strength is only measured in surface ships.
It's a crude indicator. Believe it or not, RAF frontline strength is not measured in FJ squadrons either!
I don't for one minute think that the RAF, Army or RN should be cut any further.
No sensible person does. But however hard you jam your fingers in your ears and shout "Lah Lah Lah", that is exactly what is going to happen - especially if we have to find the cash to pay for two CVF (£6 Bn or so) and JSF (At least as much again, and currently estimated at £10 Bn).
CVF may have some multi-role versatility, but it remains a slow and very costly way of deploying very modest packets of "CAS, OCA, DCA and SEAD".
Cancel both and there is at least £15 Bn of unspent money potentially available for all of the other stuff that we need.
Typhoon Tranche 3 won't free up anything like that sort of money. There may be scope for saving money by cancelling air systems - I don't know what proportion of Nimrod MRA4 cost has been spent or irrevocably allocated, and perhaps FOAS/FCAC might free up some money if cancelled.