Its normal
PR activity.
Option 1. Delete Carrier and F35 cost £xBn
option 2. Carrier and F35B cost £xbn
Option 3. 1 Carrier and F35C cost £xbn
Etc.
The MoD is skint. It has to save money. PR12 will be more about savings than spending/profiling. The reversion to F35B will be one of those options to be considered and the risks will be outlined. A decision will then be made as happens every single year with every
PR round.
The problem this year is that there is no money, well, no no money but a yawning chasm of a black hole. The carriers are all but built/money spent and when in service will be of significant utility. The issue is what to fly off them.
All this chat about F35B or C is irrelevant and is missing the main point, that the UK CANNOT AFFORD any variant. Forget about Defence Industrial Strategy, that went out years ago on the altar of savings (recent announcement of MARS being built in South Korea) so, whilst it hurts to say it, to hell with UK industry and jobs in Rolls Royce. The MoD is not there to subsidise UK manufacturing. I will say it again, the UK cannot afford F35 so it must go for another option.
Build the ships with Cats and traps and purchase Rafale or F18. This will be a 70-80% of the F35 solution but, more than adequate for the UK's needs. 36 F18's instead of F35 could save in the order of £11Bn, which would fill about a third of the MoDs black hole, enabling future investment in more important capabilities such as Long Range MPA, ISTAR, AT, Helicopters, Vehicles for the army and the Future Maritime escort.
I know that this would upset the RAF, who want skies full of fast jets but, Typhhon is here, make the most of it. The UK cannot afford F35.
This is the sensible solution without inter-service politics getting in the way, without political interference or UK Defence Industry lobbying. If the MoD is to get back on its feet by 2020 and be a place where quality people want to serve, with appropriate remuneration and good conditions of service, then that is the choice that MUST be made. Look at all the other threads on here about pensions, pay, Married Quarters etc and you get the picture. Typhoon is here and the money spent, CVF is nearly here and the money all but spent (and considering thru life costs, relatively cheap for the effect) the expensive item, where the money has not yet been committed is the jet. The UK cannot afford F35, go for F18 or Rafale and then in 20 years time replace with UAS.