Britain cancelled the Malta-class carriers in October and December 1945. Visible construction of Soviet Project 23 battleships and battlecruisers could change that choice. The Maltas might proceed slowly, or reach launch and remain unfinished until the threat justified completion. Britain could keep the hulls available without paying to commission them immediately. The decision turns on timing, reversibility, and how quickly the Soviet programme becomes credible.
Notable Point · 45:24-47:24
Keeping the Malta class as a postwar reserve option
Early Soviet capital-ship construction could keep Britain's Malta-class carriers alive through slow construction or incomplete preservation.