Twelve imperial light carriers share one treaty allowance

The proposed 13,500-ton ceiling nearly matches the later Colossus class at 13,200 tons standard. In one version of the scenario, six 10,000-ton carriers and Hermes use about 71,000 tons, leaving 64,000 of a 135,000-ton allowance. That balance could accommodate five ships of 12,800 tons and bring the total to twelve. Australian or New Zealand ships would still count against the same imperial allowance, so Dominion ownership would change who operated the ships without creating extra treaty tonnage. One suggested distribution gives Australia two carriers and the Royal Navy ten. British pairs would serve China, the Indian Ocean, and the South Atlantic, while four remained in home waters for operations, work-up, or refit. Hermes could also be replaced under the experimental-carrier provision.