Why carrier availability supports dedicated amphibious ships

Does the commando-carrier proposal help explain why the Royal Navy needs dedicated amphibious ships?

Yes: a two-carrier fleet has limited availability, and helicopter support from a fleet carrier requires less specialization than converting it into a dedicated commando carrier.

Converting carriers as commando ships in the 1960s relied on having a much larger fleet of carriers. With only two modern carriers, an availability of about one ship leaves no assurance that the specialist commando carrier would be ready when needed. This supports the case for dedicated amphibious ships, a third carrier and sufficient escorts. The Queen Elizabeth class can already embark helicopters such as Chinooks to help an amphibious operation. A dedicated commando-carrier role would need substantially more accommodation and other changes, which go beyond that existing support capability.