Thanks for the chance to clarify.
I don't think it was a battle started solely by CAS/ACAS. If the reported comments are true, then I'm pretty ashamed of them; I don't think it should be anybody's aim to take over bits of defence 'just because'.
However, there is clearly a debate to be had here - and why shouldn't we discuss whether it makes sense to cut Harrier, or who should fly JSF? These are issues that need to be debated - and from the point of view of what's best for Defence, rather than "We want all that" versus "You've always been out to get us" - some fault on both sides I feel. Yes, predjudice on the part of the RAF, but also a measure of paranoia by the RN.
My own feeling is that, sadly, the biggest threat to the carrier capability is not the RAF, but the legacy of being over-committed to two campaigns and chronic underfunding and over-ambitious programmes across the board. The recent decision to take UOR funding from the core programme exacerbates this - it means that any capabilities we aren't using right now are at risk. I would dearly love to see a credible carrier air capability (OK, so I have an opinion/predudice that it might be more efficient if the RAF flew the jets - but that's not important at the moment), but I can see the Harrier going simply as it's next down the list of belt-tightening measures now we've decimated FRES, not bought enough T45s or ASTUTE, retired Jaguar early, not been able to afford the SH uplifts we really need, taken too much risk in the medium-weight capability etc etc. There might be more to it than just trying to emasculate the 10% of the FAA that flies fixed-wing. It would make regenerating carrier capability that bit harder, but there are things we can do about it, such as the afore-mentioned sending more pilots (of whatever cloth) to work with the USN (out of interest, the RAF has more conventional deck experience than the RN at the moment due to our routine exchanges). However, it's by no means the only area in which we have taken a 'capability holiday' and need not signal the killing off of the carriers which I do think we need.