I have to second MM. I just cannot see where the RN's paranoia over the RAF somehow 'plotting against the carrier' comes from. And yes, all three services have something to contriute to the air COMPONENT, but don't confuse the requirement for unity of component command with 'the RAF' trying to control everything that flies. I really hope the carrieres do not get cancelled, partly because I think they provide useful flexibility in deploying air power, but mainly because regardless of the reason they are cancelled, I'm sure it will pass into RN legend that it was the dastardly RAF who undermined the programme. If you look at how bad we are in putting out a united front on things that ARE important to us, how on earth do you suppose we could convincingly brief against another service's project?
However, since you have raised the point, I have never yet heard a convincing argument why the RN needs to own any of the jets or provide any of the pilots. Arguments like "we tried it in the 1920s and it didn't work" are as specious as "the RAF won't want to go to sea". I don't have a problem with the FAA (in fact, some of the most professional crews I have ever worked with are RN), but I just think that it is not best value for UK defence to try to run an unsustainably-small cadre of single-seat fast jet pilots who will do exactly the same training as their RAF counterparts and be employed interchangeably. Everywhere else we have made things more effective by reducing duplication (for example, the Jt GBAD Regt), so why not here?