Fleet AEW
"Although it would be better if it could stay up higher and longer".
I've heard that before somewhere - curse that Romulan ale !
- But isn't a UAV best suited - even going to the extremes of solar power ( I think that's in the future, but know the needs of a powerful radar - and for that matter a relatively VSTOL aircraft ).
In the meantime, as the F-35 seems a cert', there's still a big question mark over the other aircraft required on CVF; as it seems to me the obvious answer is ' Merlin ', how about a stripped out F-35 to buddy-tank the offensive ones - and maybe even give some short range cover for the fleet...
Please forgive my musings, but this is a 'rumour / discussion network' and I realise all this will have been thought of long before.
'Engines', I have the feeling we've met...