Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:06:07-2:06:41

A larger Centaur-class carrier family

Selling the first Centaur-class carriers to Australia and Canada while completing later ships to a stretched Hermes standard could have preserved more capable light carriers into the Falklands era.

Centaur Class Aircraft CarriersHMS HermesRoyal Australian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyRoyal Navy
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

What if the first Centaur-class carriers had gone to Australia and Canada and the later ships were built to a stretched Hermes standard?

Short answer

More Hermes-like carriers might have survived into the Falklands era and encouraged larger Invincible-class successors, but the counterfactual changes a great deal of postwar policy.

Notes

Several Hermes-like ships might have remained in service, giving the 1982 task force more decks and aircraft capacity. Their greater size could also have influenced the Invincible class. The scenario still requires major changes to Commonwealth procurement and postwar British carrier policy, so the later Falklands force cannot be altered in isolation.