Ark Royal could have combined armor and a large air group

Ark Royal was capable, fast, and built around a large strike group, but the chosen design remained well below the treaty's 27,000-ton ceiling. Alternative work showed that roughly 2,000 additional tons could support an armored flight deck and better torpedo protection without surrendering speed or aircraft. That margin made the lighter ship a strategic design choice rather than an unavoidable limit. A 24,000-ton Ark Royal could have become the baseline for later British carriers and reduced the forced choice between protection and striking power. In the intended force structure, a protected fleet carrier supported battle-line air defence, a strike carrier delivered the large offensive blow, and a cruiser carrier handled reconnaissance and escort work.