Cancelled classes that would have changed later fleets

Which canceled warship class is the panel's greatest disappointment?

CVA-01 leads because of its effect on British carrier aviation, with the unbuilt Admiral-class ships important for how they might have reshaped the Washington treaty era.

CVA-01 is the leading choice because its cancellation changed the course of Royal Navy carrier aviation. Completing it could have sustained British CATOBAR operations and, in the panel's view, probably deterred the Falklands War. The other choice is completing all four Admiral-class battlecruisers, with Hood acknowledged as the substantially modified ship that was actually built. Four Admirals in 1917-1918 could have improved Britain's position at Washington, although the panel questions whether a treaty would still have been reached at the same time. One suggested outcome is a delay until 1924 or 1925, allowing another generation of capital ships and the first postwar British carriers. The discussion connects the 27,000-ton ceiling for purpose-built carriers with British plans of that size.