Royal Navy carriers after a Japanese treaty exit

Treaty collapse would push British fleet carriers toward 26,000 to 27,000 tons for an armored ship with an Ark Royal-sized air group, while smaller cruiser carriers followed another design path.

Question

What carriers would the Royal Navy build if Japan left the treaty system and Britain began a carrier expansion?

Short answer

It would likely build 26,000- to 27,000-ton armored fleet carriers with larger air groups, alongside a separate smaller cruiser-carrier design.

Notes

The Royal Navy had sought a fleet-carrier size that would fit several ships within its aggregate treaty allowance. Once Japan left and the limits collapsed, Britain would no longer remain near 22,000 to 24,000 tons merely for arithmetic. A 26,000- to 27,000-ton armored carrier could combine an Illustrious-style protective deck with an Ark Royal-scale internal air group of roughly sixty to seventy aircraft. A separate cruiser-carrier requirement would continue toward smaller ships for trade protection and reconnaissance. Treaty exit enlarges the fleet carrier but does not erase the need for a distinct light operational type.