Tourist,
Perhaps I view the world a little less rosily......
ASW Merlin, yep - agree with you there though it's a big/expensive airframe to haul that mission kit around.
Wildcat? Pretty good, and you stitched the AAC in some of the config. The S Korean one is probably better - at least they've gone for DAFCS....
Bagger Merlin; agreed, to a point. The mission kit out of the SK7 seemed excellent, but it's a very expensive asset to fly 24/7 and will massively limit the radar horizon compared to E2, V-22 or a lift-compounded Merlin.
CHF Merlin - can't lift all of Royal's combat configured loads, and marinisation will give it even less payload. V good in the extreme cold, and will be OK as long as you stay at msl.
F-35B. Could (should) be hoofing. Yes, we should have the C, but the BAES part of the Carrier Alliance were never going to make it easy for Boeing to pitch SH as an 'interim' fighter.
IIRC the 2010 F35C was cadged in risk terms, as the B was in a bad place then. The fact that we could have got a proper AEW, COD and EW capability is a serious issue going forward. We could have been looking at an SDSR providing a 'silver bullet' force of 24 F35C and a larger buy of SH/Growler to replace Tornado/T1 Typhoons - all of which could embark to bolster the CAG if required.
As for Mr Ward, he is entitled to his opinion. He is, unfortunately, rapidly becoming the Jeremy Corbyn of naval airpower; out of touch, surrounded by acolytes and utterly incapable of accepting alternative opinions.