Q&A · 4:33:19-4:33:46

Japanese carrier development without a Pacific War

Without a Pacific War or treaty limits, Japanese carrier development is expected to converge on very large postwar fleet carriers.

Question

What would a postwar Japanese carrier look like if the Pacific War never happened?

Short answer

It would likely develop toward a large fleet carrier comparable in scale and purpose to Midway or Malta.

Notes

Japanese designers would continue scaling their carrier force without the interruption of wartime destruction and emergency redesign. With no treaty ceiling, the broad direction resembles the large American Midway class or British Malta proposals because the major carrier navies faced similar demands for larger air groups and more capable hulls.