Battleship-scale carrier allowances would favour the Royal Navy

What if the Washington treaty allowed as many aircraft carriers as battleships while retaining a 27,000-ton limit?

Britain could build a large purpose-built carrier force, while the United States would likely complete six Lexington conversions and face slower follow-on funding.

The Royal Navy would be the clearest beneficiary if aircraft carriers were allowed in battleship-like numbers while individual ships remained capped at 27,000 tons. Britain could field roughly fifteen carriers and build them for the role from the outset, while the United States would likely convert all six Lexington-class hulls but struggle to secure funding for later purpose-built ships. Both navies would remain concerned by the scale of Japan's carrier force.