The proposed fleet uses two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers for strike and three ski-jump LHDs for amphibious operations with a secondary F-35 role. Each task group would need destroyers and frigates, while additional ships remained available for deterrent protection, refit, and unexpected demands. That arithmetic produces an aspirational core of eighteen Type 26 frigates and roughly ten to twelve Type 83 destroyers, supplemented by lighter Type 31 and Type 32 ships. The important lesson is that buying flight decks without enough escorts and maintenance margin does not create five usable task groups.
Notable Point · 1:10:22-1:12:32
Five flight decks require a much deeper escort fleet
A proposed mix of two strike carriers and three large amphibious ships is translated into the escorts and maintenance depth needed to deploy it.