Right, now I've finished my shoes, they're all nice and shiny now, I'm going to offer my opinions.
Where carrier based aircraft are based (when they are ashore) is not strictly relevent to the decision on the basing of the carriers. Remember that the the RN used to have carrier based aircraft based in Scotland, with carriers based on the South coast. Normally aircraft embark/disembark in the channel.
A journalist type friend told me that even before the Sea Harrier decision consideration was being given to keep the Sea Harrier force at Yeovilton due to issues relating to the retention of personnel, not just pilots. Look in the "The FAA is bankrupt...." thread for more on this, including a story from the Telegraph.
Who will fly the Navy's fighters if the government persists in getting rid of the Sea Harrier in a few years? How will the fleet in general retain experience of working with carrierborne fighters? More reasons to keep it in my opinion. This poses a far more serious problem for the CVF programme and the idea of expeditionary warfare that problems with the dockyard.
Last edited by WE Branch Fanatic; 11th Jul 2002 at 16:16.