For the umptied time, the EODAS/EOTC + AESA point in favor of the F35 is pretty much made redundant by Northrops statements made as far back as 2010 that they can and will implement it partially or entirely on other airframes if customers ask to do so, it is a subsystem, not dependant on the rest of the F35.
also,
I'm not saying that I would prefer a Seaphoon or SH iso a F35B for the UK QEC types, I'm only giving a hypothetical future in case the F35B is offered on the altar of future budget plans/shrinkage.
Cancellation for 1 of the f35 versions (B or C) is still a very real possibility, the technological or operational issues are not the future potential problem, the very likely possibility of a political shift post 2014 election is a much bigger danger for either the F35B or C or both.
I didn't take the possible Singapore order into consideration and if they would sign up for 75 F35B's than that would indeed be a big boost for the B-version.
Also since we're talking about the future, 1 of the many things I'm still want to see answered is how they are seeing the F35 developping in the future beyond its MLU date.
Like its predecessors, the F35 will need to be upgraded which will inevitably lead to more wheight, more volume and more systems.
Contrary to its predecessors which litterally (size) and figuratively (power, W/L) had tons of extra room for growth and did so succesfully, the F35 is already stretched to (or some say even beyond) its limits.
The EF, RAFALE, Gripen NG and SH will fly and fight well into the 21st century, maybe even for 40 more years, I don't see the F35 operating longer either, it will go the way of the F117, stealthy at its conception which gave it an edge but when detection technology caught up it was just too compromised to develop it any further and give it a new lease of life, same goes for the F35. (IR-stealth wise the F117 still outperforms the F35 btw)
PS The idea that the MARINES F35B is an effective CAS platform is just ridiculous.