The group around HMS Queen Elizabeth combined British and American F-35Bs with frigates, Type 45 destroyers, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, allied escorts, and supply ships. The British aircraft purchase had not kept pace with the carrier program, so American aircraft helped fill the deck. A future balance of 18 to 24 British F-35Bs for air defence, with drones taking much of the strike role, is offered as a workable minimum for one carrier group. Every major capability was represented, although the formation remained thin after decades of planning for technological superiority and discretionary wars.
Chapter · 9:37-11:59
A Queen Elizabeth group shows post-Cold War fleet assumptions
A British carrier deployment illustrates how a post-Cold War task group could contain every major capability while remaining thin in ship and aircraft numbers.