Engines, as always an excellent contribution to the debate. Thanks.
You mentioned Norman Friedman. I would recommend another of his books to those who are interested. It's a short and at circa £13 well priced paperback he co-authored entitled "Innovation in Carrier Aviation". This confirms that most innovation in the immediate post war period was from Britain rather than the USA and suggests why this was the case.
Without steam catapults, the angled deck and mirror deck landing aid the USN would have found it much more difficult at that time to meet it's need to operate the large aircraft then required to carry nuclear bombs from it's carriers. The USN was unwilling to surrender this "Strategic" role to the newly formed USAF.
As you say the USMC is not interested in such broad concepts although I remain puzzled why the ski jump has remained the only significant British carrier innovation the US has not used.
Looking ahead the USMC and RN/RAF will not always share a common modus operandi for the F-35B. That will not stop a great deal of co-operation though.
l