Modern Royal Navy escort sketch

Could a cruiser-like Type 45 derivative benefit the Royal Navy, and how many escorts would a balanced fleet need?

The proposed force has a Far East presence ship, one large air-defense ship per carrier group, another for the South Atlantic, and enough Type 45, Type 26, and Type 31 escorts to sustain carrier and general duties.

The speculative ship-design question becomes a fleet-sizing exercise. Force size follows the required tasks: a persistent Far East ship, carrier battle group coverage, South Atlantic presence, and the destroyer and frigate numbers needed to keep those commitments credible. The result links individual warship type and the larger escort force that has to sustain deployments.