Re: Genuine question
No chance (for instance) of flogging it to India who might operate MiG-29Ks off her.
Mig-29K do not require cats - "just" the arrestors. Presumably these would be easier to retrofit than a cat if it came to that.
Given that you can get eight Mig-29Ks for the price of a single F-35B, and that aside from the radar cross-section the two aircraft have very similar performance and operational capabilities, it may actually make economic and military sense to ditch the 35B, buy a full complement of 29Ks for both carriers, use some of the cost savings to add the arrestors and bank the rest.
Not that it is ever going to happen.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
