Illustrious-class carriers built around fleet defense

Glorious was a prewar center of Royal Navy carrier-aviation development in the Mediterranean, while the Illustrious class introduced protected hangars. These carriers were intended to survive difficult fleet battles far from British repair infrastructure, including Mediterranean and Far Eastern scenarios. Their design assumed smaller single-seat interceptors, while larger strike carriers such as Ark Royal and the later Implacable concept served a different offensive role under treaty constraints. Hangar protection, aircraft size, operating area, and assigned fleet mission were parts of one design calculation rather than isolated choices.