ICBM
I think "the bigger picture" is that without cats and traps we have painted ourselves into the corner we shouldn't be in. Thinking bigger picture, what happens if the F35B is cancelled? What would we use for Fast Air then? We're building a carrier around a single aircraft type; that IMHO is a very stupid thing to do. What happens when we need AEW to be able to see further than the ~100nm horizon from the Helo-based MASC proposal - ie. one that can give adequate warning of far bigger missile than the likes of Exocet? We would need a FW solution to get to 25-35,000ft to see ~230nm for low level activity - contrary to some believers, the world is not flat! Doing a RIP with F35 and its wonderful supposedly all-seeing sensor suite is going to use up your embarked assets very quickly!
The whole thing could fall apart and not be "significant capability for the UK" in very short order.
CPL Clott