Four Malta-class carriers and an East of Suez posture

Would four Malta-class carriers have changed Britain's East of Suez policy?

They might have preserved a carrier-based naval presence, probably centred on Singapore, but would not necessarily have prevented the withdrawal of ground forces.

The counterfactual does not reverse Britain's wider retrenchment by itself. Ground forces would probably still withdraw, but a carrier battle group could sustain a more visible maritime presence. Singapore is suggested as the more practical base, while Aden presents greater difficulties. The result is a shift from territorial commitment to sea-based influence rather than a continuation of the old imperial posture.