Balancing carriers and amphibious ships for a medium power

For a medium power, the preferred mixed fleet uses Queen Elizabeth-class carriers as the best strike decks while ski-jump LHDs sustain amphibious lift. Shared F-35B operations would let an LHD act as a less efficient secondary aviation platform when the main carrier was unavailable or needed elsewhere. Three LHDs and two strike carriers would normally make at least one of each type available, preserving both a flight deck and a dock. That flexibility is greater than a fleet with incompatible aircraft groups that cannot move between the carrier and amphibious force. The capabilities support each other: carrier aircraft protect forces moving ashore, while amphibious ships give maritime air power a means to influence events on land. A country seeking independent power projection therefore needs both, whereas a country planning to operate only near home or with allies can accept narrower choices.