F-35B numbers and the Joint Force concept

The carriers entered service before enough F-35Bs were available, partly because Britain chose to buy later production lots and defer expenditure. A proposed joint structure would give the Navy and RAF two squadrons each, normally embarking naval units and surging an RAF squadron when needed. STOVL reduces the additional carrier-qualification burden compared with CATOBAR, but the concept only works when sufficient aircraft, pilots, and support systems are funded. Waiting for later production lots can reduce subsequent modification work, yet that saving must be weighed against fielding large ships with only token aircraft numbers. The proposed squadron structure remained incomplete at the time of the video.