An earlier British concept was built around at least three carriers. Each carrier was to have roughly three destroyers and three or four frigates available for its screen. The later force fell to two carriers with about two destroyers and two frigates assigned to each group. At the time discussed, the Navy had crews for only a little more than four and a half Type 45 destroyers. Paper ship numbers can overstate deployable carrier protection when fleet size and personnel decline together.
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British carrier escort plans lost ships and crews
The intended British carrier force contracted from three carriers with larger destroyer and frigate screens to a two-carrier structure with fewer escorts and thin destroyer crewing.