If Charles de Gaulle had received a second ship as intended, how much better off would the French Navy be, and was she Europe's best carrier before Queen Elizabeth?
Short answerA second ship would have made French carrier availability much stronger, and Charles de Gaulle is treated as Europe's leading carrier before the Queen Elizabeth class.
NotesA second Charles de Gaulle would leave France much better placed, with fewer gaps in its ability to deploy a carrier. Combined with three Mistral amphibious ships, the pair would keep some form of expeditionary force available. Charles de Gaulle is considered Europe's best carrier before Queen Elizabeth. Britain's replacement of three carriers, an LPH, and a helicopter support ship with two Queen Elizabeth-class hulls illustrates the problem of asking fewer ships to cover the previous force's commitments. The criticism concerns the number of available hulls, rather than the individual carriers' capability.