I agree with ORAC. Times have changed and we don't have enough aircraft to have a permanently embarked Air Wing on either (or both) QECs. The Admiral knows this, but his accusations are false. The RAF is fully committed to Carrier Strike and certainly does 'understand' them. We haven't had large carriers for many many years, and certainly haven't deployed a fixed-wing embarked element on ops for a long time either. Therefore, I'm sad to say that there is also large proportion of the RN now that don't understand what to do with them, and maybe that was ORAC's point. That said, for the past few years a lot of sailors and WAFUs have been wisely keeping their skills up on big US carriers to prepare for QEC and F-35. A good plan IMHO.
I just wish that certain elements of the Services would stop peddling old myths to de-rail what is currently a very good plan to make both capabilities work together. These aircraft aren't just bought for the carriers. At least an air threat to the carrier strike group can be mitigated by T45, yet nobody has really acknowledged the real gorilla in the room - the sub-surface threat.
As always, if it doesn't support the rather tiresome old narrative to achieve full control, it doesn't grab headlines. Headlines which are akin to opening 5+ year-old sore wounds. Plans and relationships have moved forward considerably since then yet certain people seem intent on pushing BS up to their retired VSO "connections" in the hope of being taken seriously. That's scurrilous.