The production cost for each aircraft has been $120m (£95m). Software, spares and support will add to the final bill.

The main contractor, Lockheed Martin, says that as production ramps up, the cost of each aircraft will drop considerably. British defence firms are involved in the project, making about 15% of the jet, but it's still expensive.

Greg Bagwell suggests there's “no way” Britain can afford to keep the 24 F-35s on board the carrier for routine deployments.

He adds that, in contrast to the Royal Navy, the US Navy will be flying their older F-18 jets alongside their F-35s.

The older cheaper jets will be the workhorses. In contrast, Mr Bagwell says, “we'll be using a thoroughbred for donkey rides”.

But Cdre Betton, who's overseeing the Royal Navy's carrier strike group, says 24 is the “minimum credible number to support an operation”. It signals a potential fight between the RAF and the Royal Navy over numbers and who has operational control of the aircraft - especially in the early days when numbers of the aircraft available are low.

The F-35's “stealth” capability and sophisticated sensors will give the navy an edge gathering large amounts of data and intelligence in dangerous places.

But it won't be easy for the F-35 to relay all the information securely - not least to a ship with limited bandwidth. The navy says this challenge will eventually be overcome.