Why are the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers so lightly armed for self-defence?
Short answerThe flight deck sharply limits safe weapon positions and firing arcs. Cold-launched missiles can reduce launch hazards, but they still need space that does not endanger flight operations.
NotesAdding another defensive mount is not simply a matter of finding spare deck area. A weapon must have safe firing arcs and must not scatter fragments across the flight deck, where aircraft and deck crews are working. A cold-launched missile such as Sea Ceptor reduces some of the hazards associated with a hot launch, but it still requires suitable space and placement. The immediate design problem is the interaction between defensive coverage and safe flight operations, before the wider protection supplied by the battle group is considered.