Harrier production had ended in both its British and American forms. Keeping existing aircraft flying could bridge roughly the first five or six years of a new carrier's service. A carrier planned for forty years could not base its entire aviation future on those ageing airframes. If the F-35B failed, that gap would strengthen the case for CATOBAR and a different aircraft type.
Notable Point · 2:50:13-2:50:59
Why Harrier could not cover a forty-year carrier life
Existing Harriers could offer a short bridge, but closed production lines and ageing airframes could not sustain a forty-year carrier program.