British operations in the Mediterranean and South China Sea, including a planned blockade of Japan, would expose carriers to land-based aircraft. Reconnaissance spotters could provide visual early warning, but the practical requirement was to keep fighters airborne before a raid arrived. Carrier arrangements therefore had to support repeated launches of small strikes and fighter groups. Ark Royal combined a large strike group with continuous operations while falling short of the desired protection. Illustrious sacrificed some strike size to retain protection and sustained flying. At roughly 27,000 tons, an Implacable-type design could combine those capabilities more fully.
Notable Point · 1:03:03-1:06:20
British carriers sustain combat air patrol near enemy airfields
Fighters needed to be airborne before land-based raids arrived, pushing British carrier design toward repeated sorties as well as large strikes.