Treating Tornado and Harrier as alternatives created a false competition in this assessment because neither replacement was ready. Retaining Harrier specifically as a carrier force would have preserved an operational role that land-based aircraft could not fill aboard ships. The proposed arrangement would transfer Harrier aircraft and their personnel to the Fleet Air Arm budget. The RAF could then concentrate on Tornado and Eurofighter while carrier aviation retained its own funded force.
Notable Point · 1:56:26-1:57:53
Why Harrier versus Tornado was a false choice
Keeping Harrier aircraft and personnel in the Fleet Air Arm could have preserved carrier aviation while the RAF concentrated on Tornado and Eurofighter.