Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:41:48-1:43:22

Why rebuilding the Implacable class could outperform Victorious

Rebuilding the larger, less worn Implacable-class carriers could create two stronger modernized decks and combine with the Audacious class to sustain a useful four-carrier fleet.

Aircraft CarriersAudacious Class Aircraft CarriersCarrier ModernisationHMS VictoriousImplacable Class Aircraft Carriers
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Question

How much better would the Implacable class be if fully rebuilt instead of Victorious?

Short answer

Substantially better in hangar and fleet value, although larger jet aircraft would still impose an eventual limit.

Notes

The Implacables began with double hangars and larger hulls, giving designers room to create a taller single hangar and an angled flight deck. Their lighter wartime use also promised an easier starting point than Victorious. A pair of rebuilt Implacables alongside two Audacious-class carriers could share broadly similar aircraft and postpone the point at which growing jets made the ships obsolete. The panel argues that using the least promising carrier as an expensive test consumed money that might instead have modernized the better candidates first.