The RNAS already had a global naval role

Wartime squadrons and bases show that naval aviation was already deployed far beyond carriers in home waters. RNAS units supported the Army in France, flew fleet reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols, defended Britain, and operated from stations including Durban, Malta, Mombasa, Imbros, and Mudros. Squadron strength varied widely, showing an organization built around wartime tasks instead of one standardized establishment. This global footprint gives the counterfactual Navy experienced personnel and infrastructure to retain, so it does not need to invent a naval air service from nothing.