Trying to put myself in the position of the MoD re Harrier sale.
The only likely buyer is the USMC.
They offered us more than scrap.
They are going to an ally.
Did not the same situation exist in 1940 when we got those 50 destroyers off the Yanks?
and MoD is not in the business of speculating on the possible delays to the F-35B, especially as that would be betting against current policy.
Keeping it on the F-35B, I would now expect the US to be a bit more favourable towards us over it's future. It looks like that may have happened with Barak giving Dave a quiet word in his shell-like over current difficulties. They still seem to be keeping the Canadians in the dark over F-35 costs.