Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 42:40-43:04

What a Canadian HMS Eagle purchase would require

A Canadian purchase of HMS Eagle leading toward nuclear carriers would require a fundamental break with the country's postwar naval policy.

Aircraft CarriersAlternative HistoryHMS EagleRoyal Canadian Navy
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Question

How plausible is an alternate history in which Canada buys HMS Eagle and later operates nuclear-powered aircraft carriers?

Short answer

It would require a major change in Canadian governmental thinking and naval ambition before the country could sustain such a carrier.

Notes

The proposed sequence begins with Canada buying the retired British carrier HMS Eagle and eventually operating nuclear-powered carriers. This was a major procurement variation. It would require a significant change in how Canadian governments thought about the navy both before and after the Second World War. Political ambition and force-structure commitment are the decisive constraints in this counterfactual.