The Queen Elizabeth class retains a fleet carrier's mission set under STOVL operation. F-35Bs provide strike and air defense, while airborne-early-warning and anti-submarine helicopters complete the principal roles. The practical limitation is how many aircraft can be embarked and supported, including the balance between hangar and deck storage. A loadout dominated by thirty-six F-35Bs and only a few early-warning helicopters can reasonably be described as a strike-carrier deployment. Carrier labels therefore need to account for the operational package as well as the hull.
Notable Point · 1:02:48-1:04:43
Why Queen Elizabeth can be a fleet or strike carrier
The Queen Elizabeth class has a fleet carrier's mission set, but the size and composition of its embarked air group can make a particular deployment function as a strike carrier.