Aircraft carriers cannot substitute for the fleet built around them

Clarke describes Britain's carriers as part of a planned force that also required escorts, tankers, and stores ships. In his assessment, funding only parts of that programme left the carriers without the intended support. The Red Sea comparison introduces another dependency: warships firing vertical-launch missiles need a practical way to replenish them. Mercogliano adds salvage ships, because damaged warships require specialized recovery support in contested waters. Naval transport and supply also serve the other armed services and allies, making their capacity a joint requirement.