ORAC,
Admittedly so, yes I'm aware that 43 Sqn were assigned to SACLANT, I believe 12 Sqn's Buccaneers as well (not to sure about the Lightnings of 23? or 111 when they arrived at Leuchars) but they still remained land based, as you say, the pool of aircraft which the FAA had was very much limited. My whole point from the outset is that the carriers wouldn't, I'd have thought, be dependent on any more than about 50 to 60 airframes which would surely provide a sufficient number to place at least one on a full scale war footing, if there was a need to deploy both in such circumstances anytime in the future then I'd say the international climate would need to deteriorate dramatically. Also, the 138 airframes are required to suit now, two distinct service requirements; the carrier expeditionary role and the land based rapid deployment. The latter is not cancelled out by the former, no matter what people like Lewis Page etc think. That said, I'm absolutely certain that a sufficient number of F-35As would provide the RAF units with a superior aircraft. There are occasions when land bases are available which better place aircraft than the carrier.
FB
