The Invincible class was intended to perform air defence from the outset. Its publicly claimed mission profile resembled the Kiev class's, but that description understated the Royal Navy's intended use of the carrier. Plans for airborne early warning helicopters also reflected the air-defence requirement. Attempts to save money prevented those helicopters from arriving before the Falklands War. The intended mission helps explain why an Invincible air group faced different operational expectations from the Kiev's Forgers.
Notable Point · 42:01-42:25
Invincible's air-defence role and delayed early warning
The Invincible comparison connects its intended air-defence role with funding decisions that left it without early warning helicopters before the Falklands War.