Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:10:43-1:11:10

The unresolved choice after the F-35B

A STOVL aircraft using GCAP technology and a CATOBAR conversion for the Queen Elizabeth class are treated as distant, unsettled options after the F-35B.

CATOBARF-35BGlobal Combat Air ProgrammeLive Q&AModern NavyNaval AviationRoyal NavySTOVL
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Question

Will Britain use GCAP technology for a STOVL F-35B replacement, or convert the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers to CATOBAR?

Short answer

No confident choice is offered. The decision is distant and depends on political and technical developments that will come first.

Notes

A GCAP-derived STOVL aircraft and a carrier conversion would require different choices about Britain's future naval aviation. Both depend on decisions and technologies that will develop before an F-35B replacement is required. The exchange offers no confident choice between them. Procurement and political decisions remain too distant for a firm forecast.