Re: New better technology?
"...or for naval aviation the Rafale?"
As the carriers don't have catapults or arrestor gear, we may get Rafales off the carriers (they've got plenty of thrust), but we've no way of stopping them going off the front when they land...
And before you suggest we just install cats and traps (the carriers were after all "designed for but not equipped with..."), the cost of retrofitting was about the same as building another carrier!!