Sketching a combined CANZUK fleet

What ships and submarines should a combined CANZUK navy procure at roughly 2.5 to 3 percent of GDP, using equipment available from 2015 or planned through 2035?

Common submarine and escort families are favored, but carrier numbers remain disputed. Supporting three available carrier groups drives the larger proposal toward seven to nine carriers, with amphibious ships handled separately.

A hypothetical combined CANZUK navy could use common Orca submarines and Type 26, Type 32, and Type 83 surface combatants. One proposal begins with three Queen Elizabeth-class carriers and five amphibious ships, with later CATOBAR carriers replacing the initial aviation fleet. The carrier numbers are challenged because the alliance would need coverage in the North Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean or Middle East. Maintaining three available carriers is estimated to require at least seven hulls and preferably nine, while the original proposer initially favors a smaller affordable force. Procurement and operating economies from a shared navy are offered in support of the larger fleet. Using Australian amphibious ships as interim F-35B platforms also draws an objection: a ski jump alone does not provide the equipment required to operate those aircraft. The proposal assumes that the hypothetical alliance commissioned its Canberra-class ships with that capability. The final sketch moves toward nine CATOBAR carriers while returning the five amphibious ships to their principal role.