The proposed British fleet of interchangeable aviation decks

One British proposal would have replaced Albion, Bulwark, and Ocean with two or three landing helicopter docks fitted with ski ramps. Together with the strike carriers, these ships would have provided four or five decks able to operate F-35s and helicopters. If a carrier became unavailable, its aircraft could use an LHD, and the reverse would also be possible. That flexibility was attractive for a medium power with global maritime interests and limited numbers of major ships. The later replacement programme described here no longer followed that plan, illustrating how dependent a carrier design can be on subsequent procurement decisions.