Build a realistic aviation fleet backward from missions

France's reliance on three Mistral-class amphibious ships alongside one catapult carrier shows how a medium power can spread aviation availability across different hull types. A comparable British mix of carriers, ski-jump LHDs, and dock ships would provide several flight decks and amphibious docks without copying the two parallel carrier fleets of the United States. Every additional class creates distinct training, crewing, maintenance, and handling burdens even when engines or other systems are standardized. A realistic force design must therefore begin with required missions and work backward to the ships and aircraft the country can actually sustain.