The claim that carrier spending simply displaced escort construction misses shared infrastructure. The two ships represented roughly 0.9 percent of British defence spending during their construction period. Some dry-dock improvements used by escorts were funded through the carrier project. A major procurement program can therefore support fleet infrastructure whose value extends beyond its headline hulls.
Notable Point · 12:10-12:46
Carrier spending also upgraded escort dry docks
Queen Elizabeth-class carrier spending also funded dry-dock improvements used by Royal Navy escorts, complicating claims that the program only displaced other ships.