Carrier deployment needs an operational purpose

Why wasn't the Royal Navy sending an aircraft carrier to respond to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping?

Nearby land bases already had aircraft available, and a carrier's presence alone was judged unlikely to stop the attacks. Keeping it available for other missions was the preferred use of the ship.

Land-based aircraft were already operating from bases close to the Red Sea. In this assessment of the January 2024 debate, sending a carrier would mainly produce a headline because its presence alone probably would not stop the Houthi attacks. The recommendation was to keep the carrier available for other missions.