Thank you Greenman....but of course the USN have a training carrier on which to conduct such practice, we do not which is why the UK force will spend plenty of time embarked. And, of course, to generate 12 FE@R will require most of the JSF force to be so qualified.
Backwards,
carriers take quite a while to get anywhere,
2 weeks to the Gulf (all jets, personnel, ammo, fuel, stores, GBAD etc. How long (and at what cost) did it take to establish Gioa as a UK operating base? Didn't we have to resurface major areas to make it fit for purpose? Also, I believe the last convoy home was welcomwed by CAS only last week? Not exactly expeditionary!
"only we can do it, you just don't understand"
This is the line your 3and 4*s have been peddling to the ministers, and particularly so since the Torpy/Anderson years.