Would returning to smaller carriers East of Suez make sense?
Short answerA five-ship LHD force with mixed strike and amphibious priorities would provide more sustainable flight-deck availability.
NotesA force of five ski-ramp-assisted LHDs could replace the older arrangement without matching it ship for ship. Two vessels could emphasize strike operations and three amphibious work while all retained some flexibility. That scale could support two available flight decks, one ship in a ready group or the Indian Ocean, and another closer to home. Three such LHDs could also combine the docks, helicopter capacity, and limited fixed-wing support previously divided among Albion, Bulwark, and Ocean.