A Queen Elizabeth catapult refit depends on the future air group

The carriers are likely to remain for decades, so any catapult decision will turn on future F-35 availability, new aircraft, and whether an indigenous uncrewed wingman offers a better path.

Question

Will the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers receive catapults or be replaced by purpose-designed ships?

Short answer

A catapult refit is possible but uncertain; replacement is much farther away because escorts, auxiliaries, submarines, and amphibious forces have higher recapitalization priority.

Notes

The ships are expected to serve into roughly the 2060s, and replacing functioning carriers soon has no clear budgetary case. A catapult becomes more plausible if Britain cannot obtain the aircraft it needs for the present arrangement or if a future air system demands one. An alternative is to develop an indigenous uncrewed aircraft that works with the embarked F-35Bs without rebuilding the whole carrier force.