What a completed Malta-class force might have changed

If Britain had completed the Malta class, what aircraft and postwar carrier force might have followed?

The counterfactual produces a four-carrier force operating Phantoms and Buccaneers, with hull size sufficient for possible later Tomcat use.

This counterfactual begins with Britain completing all four Malta-class fleet carriers and concentrating resources on that force. Older wartime carriers could then leave service sooner, and the Audacious class might never be completed, offsetting part of the Malta programme's cost. A modified Malta appears large enough to operate F-14 Tomcats as well as Phantoms and Buccaneers. A later Buccaneer S.3 might have followed instead of an immediate abandonment of the type. Four enduring fleet carriers could also have changed how Britain divided NATO commitments between carrier battle groups and Royal Marine forces. Possible consequences for the Falklands era remain speculation rather than a certain alternative timeline.