Hermes for Australia: Harriers determine the value

How useful would Hermes have been to the Royal Australian Navy as a replacement for Melbourne?

With Harriers, Hermes could have provided useful fixed-wing aviation for many years. Without them, its value would depend on Australia's helicopter procurement and employment.

In the counterfactual based on a mid-1960s offer of Hermes to replace Melbourne, the aircraft purchase determines the ship's value to Australia. Harriers would give the Royal Australian Navy a useful fixed-wing aviation asset with the prospect of a long service life. India's lengthy operation of the ship supports that expectation. Without Harriers, Hermes would serve as a helicopter carrier whose value depended on the helicopters bought and how they were employed. The service-life forecast remains conditional on those choices.