HH,
Apologies for the "childish" remark before, it was a bit ...childish.
I aknowledge the fact that these people are published and apparently experts in there field but have they actually done it. Have they gone to war in a big grey canoe, or rendered aid, or launched an aircraft etc etc etc.
Once again you quote figures that imply a continuous operation of both carriers, when at the moment that is not the preferred option.
I can tell you that sending a ship to sea won't happen if key personnel are missing, the skipper will call opdef and someone will get a pier head jump to fill that billet.
Of course the Navy is undermanned, we all know that getting bumped from one sea draft to another is a sure fire way to encourage PVR, hence sign on bounties and easy access to mortgage advances of pay are used to entice and tie in personnel to longer periods of service. (not so easy to PVR when you have a mortgage to pay). The Navy are also notoriously bad at accrediting technical training to align with other forces and civvy institutes, just ask the lads and lasses who thought FAA Technician training would get them accredited properly. (not me I was too old)
The current capabilities are severely hamstrung by having no fast jet FAA, that is a fact (and I was a pinger/bagger not a zoomie, so that statement hurt). So an aircraft carrier IS essential to the Royal Navy, the RAF can't supply that capability everywhere, that is a fact; so Peter is just going to have to man up and pay up.
Cheers now