What would a credible Royal Navy force structure look like?
Short answerIt needs enough specialist escorts, general-purpose ships, patrol vessels, carriers, and aviation-capable amphibious ships to keep more than one task group available.
NotesThe proposed force is layered rather than centred on one prestige platform. It pairs roughly twelve area-air-defence destroyers with eighteen first-rank anti-submarine frigates. General-purpose frigates and River-class patrol vessels cover less specialised deployments, while three carriers and four landing helicopter docks provide aviation capacity. Giving the LHDs ski jumps and F-35 compatibility would let them cover the carrier role in an emergency. This would be expensive, but seven aviation ships could sustain an amphibious task group and a carrier battle group despite maintenance and availability demands.