How important would the first nuclear-powered supercarrier be to a British Empire that had not declined?
Short answerIt would be an important technological and prestige race, and Britain could compete if its broader carrier and industrial programmes remained strong.
NotesLeadership in nuclear carrier development would carry prestige as well as technical value. A maritime power could use the first such ship to show that it remained at the front of naval development. Britain could compete in a scenario without postwar decline only if it had sustained carrier construction and the industrial base behind it. The race therefore depends on programme continuity, rather than a single decision to install a reactor.