VR
"Fear"
Presumably of the consequences of having to admit just how screwed we really are, and (worse) of the press finding out...
OA
I half agree - we are choosing not to afford the force size we collectively desire, which is always going to end with tears before bedtime. Oh well.
CATOBAR with Dave-C was always the right answer, as was Dave-C for the RAF for fleet commonality (shades of F-4K / Phantom FG Mk. 1 for sceptics of a certain age?). But do we really think that we're to have a front line of 120 Dave-C plus 100 Tiffies? I rather doubt it, or at least not anytime soon.
And in the meanwhile sans Harrier, HMS QE can be the most grossly oversized LPH in modern history. Perhaps that nice Mr. Nalls can be persuaded to fly his SHaR off it?
As for a "force" of 15 FF/DD - (presumably 6 x T45 and 9 x T23)? Really?
But at least if we're binning Harrier to keep GR4 for a little longer, then there is some sanity prevailing. Not much, but some...
S41