There is uncertainty over what type of aircraft will be used on the carriers
Government Plans U-Turn On Aircraft Carriers As Catapult Costs Spiral -- The Guardian
Defence secretary wants to switch back to version of Joint Strike Fighter ministers dismissed as more costly and less effective
Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, has recommended a U-turn on one of the most controversial proposals of the cost-cutting armed forces reforms, the Guardian has learned.
David Cameron will decide this week whether to agree to an embarrassing about-face involving the Royal Navy's over-budget aircraft carriers, which are under construction.
In the strategic defence and security review (SDSR), the prime minister insisted the carriers would have to be converted to include "cats and traps" to allow a version of the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to be catapulted from the decks and caught by arrestor wires on landing. But the Guardian has been told the cost of the modification has spiralled out of control, to between £1.9 and £2bn.
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More News On Britain Planning To Change Direction On It's F-35 Purchase
David Cameron is advised to ditch jet fighter plan -- The Telegraph
Ministers discuss U-turn on F-35 fighter planes -- BBC
Aircraft carriers 'may get jump jets' -- British Forces News
Hammond 'recommends' F-35 switch -- Defence Management
Aircraft carrier procurement hits stormy waters again -- Supply Management