How many aircraft must a carrier operate to be an effective capital ship?
Short answerAbout eighteen fighters are a useful benchmark for fleet air defence, but the full air-group size depends on every mission the carrier must support.
NotesAn air group cannot be judged only by its headline number of aircraft. Fleet air defence requires roughly eighteen fighters available for cover, while anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning, electronic warfare, strike, tanking, and rescue add their own aircraft and support demands. Invincible could remain comparatively small because the roles assigned to it were limited. Illustrious needed enough aircraft to defend its battle group, while the strike carrier Ark Royal carried a different complement for massed attack as well as defence. Their differing air groups reflect different missions rather than a single ideal carrier size.