GreenKnight:
Thanks for the link, I had not seen that before. Whilst apparently technically feasible, which I still wonder about personally, it is still going to cost someone an awful lot of money to do it. If Canada is worried about the cost now, I cannot see them findig extra funds to push this solution. Any design modification will then be along way downstream in the build process, adding years to any procurement. It would not be as easy as 'cut and shut' a C forward fuselage to an A centre fuselage section.
LO:
Obviously the B and C have a gunpod mounted on the centreline station, making things a bit easier for strafing (which is what the USMC wanted as they're used to a gunpod set up with their Harrier fleet).
Beagle: There is an interesting adaptation to the hangar doors out at Pax River where they have had to fit a P-8 into a P-3 hangar!