Q&A · 1:25:01-1:25:16

How Malta-class carriers might have sustained naval aviation

Completing Malta-class carriers could have made Royal Navy naval aviation larger, longer-lived, and cheaper to operate in the Cold War.

Question

How would Malta-class carriers instead of Audacious-class ships affect Cold War Royal Navy aviation?

Short answer

They would likely sustain a larger, longer-lived, and more economical Royal Navy carrier aviation capability.

Notes

The counterfactual replaces the Audacious-class programme with completed Malta-class carriers. The Royal Navy would retain a larger and more capable naval aviation arm for much longer. That force is also described as cheaper to operate, making endurance a product of affordability as well as ship performance. A repeated answer near the end of the stream reinforces that the consequence would be a stronger long-term Fleet Air Arm rather than merely a different set of hull names.