The Suez battle group centered on five carriers: three strike carriers and two Colossus-class ships serving in the amphibious helicopter role. Britain assembled that concentration while continuing other global commitments, a measure of the depth of its mid-1950s fleet. The strike carriers were recent commissions, comparable in relative freshness to the Colossus-class ships used during Korea. The force also separated strike aviation from the emerging amphibious helicopter mission.
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Britain's five-carrier Suez force
The Suez operation combined three strike carriers with two helicopter carriers while Britain maintained commitments elsewhere.