By the late 1970s or early 1980s, the hypothetical Malta carriers would face worn hulls and machinery as well as increasingly large aircraft. Their useful lives would therefore require replacement planning even if successive budget cuts had spared the ships. Construction could begin in the early-to-mid 1980s, bringing new carriers into service around the end of that decade or the start of the 1990s. This timetable depends on the scenario preserving a substantial strike fleet through the defence cuts discussed here.
Notable Point · 1:21:24-1:22:26
When the Malta carriers would need replacing
Hull wear, machinery condition, and growing aircraft would put Malta replacements into construction in the early-to-mid 1980s.