The Queen Elizabeth class is central to British naval power, but two hulls still leave little margin for maintenance, accidents, or simultaneous tasks. Each carrier is only as effective as its embarked F-35 force and the escorts, logistics, and sensors assembled around it. One proposal is to add three ski-ramp amphibious assault ships, increasing organic aviation capacity and resilience. A ship is one component of a fleet, and a prestigious pair can be powerful while remaining structurally thin.
Notable Point · 1:04:03-1:06:39
Modern carriers and the lesson of fleet depth
The comparison closes by applying the sisters' availability problem to today's two-carrier Royal Navy and the difference between building a ship and building a fleet.