Could Queen Elizabeth operate fixed-wing airborne early warning?

What is the largest viable fixed-wing aircraft that Queen Elizabeth could launch and recover unassisted?

No suitable aircraft meets those requirements in the comparison, so Merlin remains the practical airborne-early-warning option.

For airborne early warning, the aircraft would need enough size and electrical power to support the equipment. It would also have to remain small and robust enough for short takeoff and carrier landing. Stopping without arresting wires would avoid substantial changes to the carrier. A suitable fixed-wing aircraft could outperform Merlin, but none meets the stated requirements in this 2021 comparison. Merlin is therefore the practical choice among the available options.