AndyY,
8 is not enough to sustain a sqn, but 12 is (ie if we revisited the idea of resurrecting the cannibalised ones).
It would be extremely ironic, however if ASAC does not happen. Imagine the situation. RAF hand Mk3 to the RN and have to put their own aircrew out of work as a result after 10 years of hard graft making Mk3 work. MOD pay for marinisation of 25 Mk3/3a airframes. Down the line there is no funding for ASAC. The 8 perfectly serviceable and already marinised RN Mk1 airframes(whose age and cockpits are v similar to Mk3) get sold off to Johnny Foreigner for small beer along with the 4 that will never fly again. CAS will be crying into his Dubonnet - and with good reason.
Think I might write a book - now what was that title?, 'Lionesses, asses and prehistoric reptiles'.........