Total nonsense glad rag. Do you really think we would have more frigates/destroyers or submarines if there was no CVF? Really? How would that be justified to Ministers and the taxpayer? As for monitoring and defending the coastline that is a job for UK Border Force and the Police.
F-35B is in service with the USMC, and will be coming here soon. The CVF design has been designed to maximise sortie rate. Whilst I do agree to some degree about AEW, you seem to forget that there is a law of diminishing returns thing, so doubling the altitude of the platform does not double the radar range, and reduces resolution.
Self defence - what do you think they should carry?