but then we do want to retain an organic defence/aerospace manufacturing capability dont we?
Yes, but let's face it, BAE will get a pretty big piece of the action even if Dave-C were chosen.
It would be diabolical if Dave-B became another Spey Phantom debacle. Should it turn out that SRVL is a tricky manouver, even the advantage of reduced time spent practicing landing will be lost. And the penalties of vertical lift are then going to be very hard to justify. Of course by that time the carriers will be built, (even now the excuses for how difficult it will be to retrofit the new carriers with CATS are being rehearsed) and Dave-B WILL go ahead regardless.
As I recalled in the Future Carrier thread; the Spey Phantom was always going to pay for itself in exports to re-engine F4s the world over. In fact, it did no such thing, and the RAF ended up with the worlds slowest, and most expensive F4s, all 'justified' by an alleged need to generate a bit more thrust to improve bolter performance.
I would suggest that the rational for Dave-B is starting to look at least as tenuous.