Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:07:33-2:08:13

How a Falklands defeat could reverse British carrier policy

A British defeat would likely be blamed on the earlier cancellation of large carriers and trigger a major fleet-carrier rebuilding program.

Aircraft CarriersDefence PolicyDenis HealeyFalklands WarRoyal Navy
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Question

How would an Argentine victory in the Falklands War affect British politics and naval policy?

Short answer

The government would probably blame earlier carrier cuts and launch a major program to rebuild large-carrier capability.

Notes

The domestic political effect of losing the Falklands would probably be severe. The most available explanation would be the Healey-era decision to abandon large fleet carriers. Assigning blame there would turn the defeat into evidence that carrier capacity had been cut too far. The likely response would be an expensive program to upgrade and rebuild the Royal Navy's carrier force.