Territorial commitments drive a larger carrier fleet

If Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, and Sri Lanka remained British, would their naval forces be separate and how would that affect fleet structure?

They would form part of the Royal Navy, and defending those territories would probably require a much larger carrier fleet with a persistent Indian Ocean presence.

If Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, and Sri Lanka remained British territories or became represented parts of the United Kingdom, their naval forces would belong to the Royal Navy. Sri Lanka’s status would make withdrawal east of Suez politically and strategically impossible because Britain would be defending its own population and bases in the Indian Ocean. Keeping one carrier group ready there and another in the North Atlantic requires at least four carrier hulls, while five or six would make maintenance and availability less brittle. The distances involved could strengthen the case for nuclear propulsion and for basing other long-range naval assets in Sri Lanka. A larger common design might also attract Australian participation and lower unit costs through economies of scale.