Please excuse the thread drift.
Thanks for the reply John.
The Stovl F35 does seem today to be the epitiome of too much 'gold plating' and the resultant, heavy, slow and extremely complicated Aircraft has nothing on the relatively simple, rugged Harrier.
It is still impressive what the Harrier achieved in the Falklands with the FRS1 (who knows what will happen now) and it has always been a premier close air support and ground attack aircraft.
It is a great shame to think what could have been developed with further funding. personally I think the 'ski lift carriers' and the Harrier Force were an exceptional value and a potent one for the RN. Their absence is a great and irreplacable loss.