The Harrier force did a sterling job on HERRICK, but at the cost of massively reducing available assets for carrier ops. The decision was taken in one of the pre SDSR planning rounds to reduce the number of GR9s available for deployment (colloquially known as FE@R) to around 10-12 (can’t remember which). This was, as I recall, designed to ensure that the RAF / RN had available a small force to continue carrier seedcorn capability when the assumption was that we’d be transitioning to STOVL JSF.
Apart from the sterling job on HERRICK , can't agree. During HERRICK the FEAR was 18 with 8 required in Afghanistan. The force continued to maintain carrier ops as well as dets to Red Flag / Green Flag. It is a complete myth that Carrier ops were so seriously affected during Afghanistan for the Harriers, I must have imagined my time at sea during that time. Post Afghanistan I remember being briefed many times that the force was going to concentrate on all round regeneration, not a Carrier seed corn capability.
and that the GR9 / CVS combination was getting older, with reduced availability in the last few years of its life
The GR 9 was at CAP EA and about to be upgraded to CAP EB which would have given the jet an outstanding capability for at least the next 10 years, not to mention the engine support contracts that had only recently been signed with Rolls Royce.