Ignoring the French Connection & posture, a couple of additional ingredients for the mix occurs to me;
When Hoon the Loon announced the original signing of the agreement to part fund the F35 development and purchase them for our two new carriers, all to be delivered in 2010/2012, if memory serves correctly, he triumphantly declared that never again would GB produce a fighter aircraft. Which is a political mindset that still seems to be at large and may be in the way of ditching the F35, a lot of political clout went into achieving that position. Labour has always stated that UK armed forces should not exist, despite being the biggest user.
On the other hand, I feel that the chances of the alternative RR engine for the F35 coming to fruition are rapidly decreasing, granted the increasing NIH (Not Invented Here) posture being adapted by the US political arena, witness the contract award to Airbus for the new Tanker fleet, that was immediately rescinded as Boeing lost and the cries that have already gone up about the additional cost of the RR option.
So all in all, more fuel to the arguement that says dropping the F35 and taking on the enhanced F18 is the only practical way forward, both in terms of cost and sensible timescale, (imagine - having the aircraft ready at the same time as the carriers?), given our current financial problems. We would still need to have both carriers, as you cannot run a navy with a single ship main deterrant, that has to be taken out of ops for the odd year or so, but fitting nuclear propulsion would provide enhancement and we could buy this from the US, they have the technology and it would be a good quid pro quo for the F35 cancellation, to strengthen the ground attack, buy a few Warthogs with hooks!
