Because the engine would run out of oil, the pilot would be out of crew duty time and CDS either doesn't understand Air, has been seriously misled or is spinning some kind of inappropriate party line. IMHO.
Anyway, two things cropped up this week:
A statement that the addition of EMALS (or something similar had been considered during the design of the carriers - first and last I heard of that), but it would have made installation easier.
The other thing that occurs to me is that BAES was the reason for inflating the price of the modification of the carriers. This would be because BAES wanted to keep us in the market for the B model. My understanding is that the move to a conventional carrier aircraft meant that we would go for the C instead and that carried the risk of eventually moving to the Super Hornet if the Government were ever to work out that it's less expensive, proven and pretty much does what we need. Plus, of course, we would be able to launch Growlers, AAR, AEW, etc.
BAES has a stake in the F-35 programme and none in the F-18. So by pricing the country out of cats and traps they skillfully preserved their profits in the JFS programme.
No proof of any of that, but it rings true to me.
Kevlar body armour at the ready.
