Defence secretary Philip Hammond last year decided to revert to plans by the former Labour government to acquire the jump jet version of the US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Under proposals set out in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the coalition had intended to switch to the F-35C carrier variant of the aircraft, even though it meant mothballing one of the two carriers on grounds of affordability.
But the costs of fitting the necessary catapults and arrester gear to the carriers had more than doubled to £2bn.
portsmouth
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