The force-size calculation starts with aircraft committed to operational wings. It allocates roughly 36 to a carrier wing and another 36 to a land-based wing. From an illustrative fleet of about 150, roughly 50 would be in long-term maintenance and readiness work, leaving around 100 available for other duties. Conversion and training account for another 24 to 28 aircraft, leaving about 72 to 76 for the two operational wings. This explains the approximate requirement discussed in the episode and the difficulty of meeting it with a fleet then described as roughly forty aircraft. The procurement criticism concerns judging cost without testing the capability and availability purchased for it.
Notable Point · 4:26:36-4:30:27
Why a carrier air wing requires far more than 36 aircraft
Operational air wings, maintenance reserves, and training needs explain Britain's much larger original F-35 fleet requirement.