How a naval treaty delayed until 1927 could change fleet limits

If the naval treaties were delayed until 1927 and Britain completed more large warships, what would their limits look like?

One proposed outcome has a capital-ship limit near 45,000 tons, larger carriers and different cruiser limits. Other participants doubt that a treaty would still be agreed at all.

The scenario assumes that Britain has already built ships which the earlier treaty prevented. A capital-ship limit around 45,000 tons is suggested, together with the influence of proposed 27,000-ton-standard carriers. Larger cruiser designs, including a 9.2-inch-gun cruiser, would also change the starting point for negotiations. The panel disagrees over whether a treaty would still emerge after that construction had taken place. The empire's economic recovery and Japan's difficulty financing the naval race are also raised as factors in a later agreement. If a depression arrived before a treaty, continued shipbuilding is suggested as a way to keep money circulating in the British economy, reducing the incentive to accept limits. A participant points out that the Great Depression in 1929 still falls after the proposed 1927 treaty. Britain would already have replaced many of the old capital ships it wanted to remove, changing the fleet's immediate needs. Iron Duke and Tiger are considered among the older ships most likely still to be retained, while additional Admiral-class hulls are imagined as carriers. These are conditional fleet and treaty outcomes, with no single agreed result.