High Spirits,
Whilst accepting the operational imperatives, I still don't buy the long timescales.
If the RN selects crews and begins to feed them into the conversion/training system; probably in lieu of RAF personnel, and if the RAF exchanges some personnel with the RN, it ought to be possible to declare at least one sqn operational in 18 months (set aside for a moment any navalisation required to the cabs themselves).
That sqn might perforce be based at Benson in the interim but there's no reason (as we've seen with Harrier) why a sqn manned by mixed crews cannot carry the 84? number plate and operate as such.
I'm not sure how many aircraft there are now (23 + 6 minus the one that was bent and a few out of the system for trials/upgrades etc).
My main concern hinges around the continued IMHO vulnerability of the Wildcat and Puma projects: let's hope I'm very wrong (Mrs O-D thinks I am most of the time).
O-D