Would a nuclear-powered CVA-01 have been a more viable Royal Navy choice?
Short answerPossibly: nuclear propulsion and the status of a major carrier might have made it more politically attractive despite pressure to limit defence spending.
NotesA nuclear CVA-01 could have aligned with a government desire to project major-power standing within a constrained budget. A major power is defined here as a medium power with global reach, distinct from a superpower, and carrier procurement serves that status ambition. The present Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are useful assets that also embody this wider political impulse. A comparison with main battle tanks shows how status can preserve expensive capabilities even when an expeditionary force could debate their strict necessity.