This is explicit speculation about a programme that was cancelled. The F-4 Phantom II was already being procured and the Buccaneer could have continued in strike service, while a later Hornet-family purchase might have met the pressure for an affordable multirole aircraft. The Super Hornet appears more plausible here than the F-14, and Britain might have chosen the E-2 Hawkeye instead of developing another carrier warning aircraft alone. A joint Anglo-American aircraft programme could also have affected Australian and Canadian carrier decisions. The comparison with the Tornado ADV shows that aircraft selection can serve industrial policy as well as immediate flight requirements. Keeping CVA-01 would have preserved the deck requirements, partnerships, training, and manufacturing choices that supported a carrier force.
Notable Point · 55:22-56:02
CVA-01 could have reshaped aircraft procurement
An explicitly counterfactual discussion connects a continuing British carrier force to later aircraft choices, joint programmes, airborne warning, and the industrial policy behind procurement.