"It's Dave B that's having issues"
Naysayer! The F-35B executed a vertical landing on March 18th, and has even done it again since then.
This of course has nothing to do with Boeing's choice of Farnborough to pitch a new Super H version with lots more thrust, added fuel and new stealth tricks.
The Treasury's abacuses are doubtless running hot, figuring out whether F-35B cost, minus F-18 cost, times 70, is greater or less than the cost of some very hasty ship modifications.
Their Lordships at the Admiralty, meanwhile, may have twigged that the current budget will buy carriers or Dave B, but not both.
Back at the Air Ministry, people may be thinking that the Ultra Hornet will cost less than Dave B and save a few Phoons from retirement.
A few things have changed in this sphere recently, by the way. They include scary cost estimates for Dave B and the fact that the EMALS program in the US seems to have turned the corner.
Anyone around here read the story of the HS.1154 and the Phantom?