The force structure was designed during an era of expeditionary wars of choice and assumed that only one Queen Elizabeth-class carrier would normally be operational. A joint Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pool of four squadrons could place two squadrons aboard and surge a third when required. Operating both carriers at the same time breaks that planning assumption and spreads the available F-35Bs too thinly. Sustained dual-carrier operations therefore require the United Kingdom to buy more aircraft and expand the wider strike force. The small air groups seen today are a consequence of the original force model as much as of the ships themselves.
Notable Point · 1:38:01-1:39:12
Why Queen Elizabeth carrier air groups need more aircraft
Britain planned a joint four-squadron force around one operational carrier, so sustained use of two ships requires a larger aircraft inventory.