By Pious Pilot:
"The Navy should have bought the latest F-18 varient and a carrier with 'cats and traps', then palmed the F-18s off to the RAF once JSF is serviceable and ready to buy with capability, say 10 years from now.
The future of strike is going to be UAV based, catapults and arrestor gear will be a necessity not an option. Not to mention all the other fixed winged assets that could use a proper carrier.
Short sighted muppets pulling the strings."
The RN and French Navy should probably have both bought the F18 and the French could then have joined a land centric Eurofighter programme.
All academic now.