An F-35C and CATOBAR carrier would have overlapped more visibly with Eurofighter, Tempest, and land-based airborne early warning, risking another Navy-Air Force budget fight. The STOVL F-35B instead offered a distinct mission and the possibility of operating from future amphibious ships. The longer-term concept was to replace seven aviation and amphibious hulls with two large carriers and two LHDs, providing four adaptable flight decks even though each pair would specialize in different roles. The seven hulls were Invincible, Illustrious, Ark Royal, Ocean, Albion, Bulwark, and Argus. Four flight decks were intended to keep one at sea and another available. The loss of HMS Ocean later weakened the Army's stake in that compromise because Apache operations had given it a direct role in expeditionary aviation.
Chapter · 18:01-23:45
Why Britain chose the F-35B and STOVL carriers
The F-35B offered a distinct role alongside RAF jets and a way to operate from both large carriers and future amphibious ships.