I didn't see a thread on this subject. If one exists feel free to move this post.
Canada may or may not see any of these beasts in Canadian service, but as has been noted elsewhere we already have a financial stake in them. If we did see them it wouldn't be until out past the 2020-2025 window.
There has been considerable concern expressed, especially by the Royal Navy and the US Marines, that the JSF was too heavy to be able to accomodate the STOVL (Short Take Off - Vertical Landing) version they require to work with their vessels. The USMC can work-around because of the US Navy's Carriers, but for the RN this is the only game in town for their proposed Carriers.
This article is Lockheed's announcement that the problem is fixed. They apparently lopped 2700kg off the air-frame weight.
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.4308111.1089903978.QPadasOa9dUAAESlMZk&modele=jdc_34Although this is really dreaming in technicolour as a Canadian the availability of these aircraft as possible replacements for the CF-18 in the long-term does put the prospect of fixed wing air for expeditionary forces in the hands of the CF.
Interestingly, after Afghanistan - where the US couldn't get Tactical Air Support in country (fighters had to be based on ships or in other countries necessitating Schmidts long flight and drug-enhanced state) - both the US Air Force and the US Navy are seriously looking at the STOVL version for their own use as well as the conventional version.
I gather that both services had reservations about the Harrier because of the complexity of the aircraft and its controls and the fact that it didn't blend well with any of their other aircraft for conversion training. The JSF seems to be trying to be more user friendly and requiring fewer special skills.
One other feature of the Harrier/JSF(STOVL) that apparently sells is that they can fly more often than conventional air. I remember reading somewhere that this was proved during the Falklands. That it was possible to land the Harriers in fogs and seas that would have kept conventional craft on the deck. You can't launch if you can't land apparently.
Cheers