Originally Posted by
Hoverman
By keeping the Tornado and scrapping their Harriers. Many reports indicate that the Harriers were actually doing a better job in Afghanistan. The Libyan operation, begun just a few weeks after the mothballing of Ark Royal, would have been ideal for British shipborne STOVL operations.
Don't let logic get in the way of politics. The USS Enterprise and it's air wing were in the vicinity when Odyssey Dawn kicked off, this is the type of operation carriers and their air wing were built for. It's the whole reason for carriers. Instead it was an inefficient hodge podge of every service protecting their rice bowl to get their piece and the Big E was told to pound sand.