NoHoverstop,
All good points. Your first, yes, I see what you mean. It's still simulation, though. And, as you wrote, based on a set of predictions. And, as I wrote, it proved a concept.
Your second, yes, as you spotted I missed out the letter B. Yeah, it's been to a number of decks and runways, but I think the original question that someone asked was more specific. I should go back and look, but not now. Again, I know this will work, but they will still have to do it for real on the actual ship, with the actual aircraft. But they will make it work as it will be very important to bring back for the RN and the RAF.
Final one, I had always thought that the VAAC test/demo (very good
) series was all part of exactly that, a series of trials proving various aspects of projected F-35 ops. So, yes I knew the Bedford Array was towards the end, but I did think it was all part of the same series of tests.
Still, as I said, RVLs (or as John Farley rightly remarks, SSLs) will be an important part of the repertoire, and there's no doubt in my mind that it works. Now they (the Wizards) just have to bring it all together.