Spotting, scouting, and presence were the carrier's central interwar purposes. Britain could not be strong everywhere across its empire, so conspicuous ships and unfamiliar aircraft helped create an impression of reach where forces were thin. In some destinations a carrier brought aircraft to communities seeing them for the first time, magnifying the deployment's visibility. Carrier deployments therefore had political and deterrent value as well as a fleet role, especially where naval aviation remained a striking novelty.
Chapter · 2:26-7:06
Aircraft carriers as instruments of imperial presence
Why interwar Royal Navy carriers used scouting aircraft and their novelty to project visible strength across a dispersed empire.