Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:51:06-5:53:25

Malta-class carriers anchor postwar British strategy

Completing Malta-class carriers in 1945-50 could leave Britain with large carriers usable into the 1980s and encourage governments to rely on carrier groups.

Aircraft CarriersAngled Flight DecksAudacious Class Aircraft CarriersMalta Class Aircraft CarriersPostwar PeriodRoyal Navy
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Question

How would British policy change if the Royal Navy commissioned at least three Malta-class carriers between 1945 and 1950?

Short answer

They would provide a long-lived carrier core, sustain global deployments, and make carrier battle groups a routine instrument of British policy.

Notes

A completed Malta program, supported by the Audacious class, would give Britain a substantial carrier force after the war. The scenario extends the question's minimum of three ships to four Maltas, commissioned in 1945-50 and expected to remain useful into the 1980s. Light fleet carriers and then the Audacious ships are expected to face cuts before the Maltas, leaving the large carriers as the core of the force. Four ships could keep one consistently available. That availability could make governments accustomed to sending a carrier group, giving them a reason to maintain the capability. The prediction concerns the political value of a dependable deployment option as well as the ships' size.