Ade's book is indeed a good read, but was edited/dumbed-down a little for the masses.
The Fag Chariots on QRA can be airborne very quickly indeed when they are scrambled. It did carry a vastly superior Mx fit compared to the SHar, and could operate in block 3 fairly comfortably (although it took some effort to get there
).
There were also several limits on the use of AMRAAM by the Sea Jet, but they are probably not for discussion here. One fairly obvious one is the lack of a >M1.0 launch.
Never thought I would give credit to the F3 force, but I don't think Cdr Orchard is best placed to comment on it's (lack of!) capabilities.