Carrier escort and independent missions for Defiant

If sixteen Defiant-class battleships are built, would they serve mainly as carrier escorts or independent surface combatants?

The panel envisages both roles within the question's hypothetical sixteen-ship force, with assignments varying by theater and threat.

The question assumes that a proposed sixteen-ship force is built. In that hypothetical scenario, the panel describes a division between carrier escort and independent surface duties according to the threat. Pacific carrier groups are identified as the most likely to receive an escort of this size, with Atlantic and Mediterranean groups less likely to do so. Indian Ocean and Gulf assignments would depend on circumstances. Independently deployed ships are described as performing traditional cruiser missions.