Debating conventional carriers alongside US nuclear carriers

Would Queen Elizabeth-sized second-rate carriers be a practical supplement to US nuclear carriers?

The proposal is contested: reserve flight decks are its main argument, while objections concern reliance on allies, carrier size, construction capacity, and operating demands.

Conventional carriers are proposed as additional flight decks when nuclear-carrier construction cannot expand quickly. Their reserve value is central to the argument because nuclear plants still require attention while their ships are inactive. One suggested force would keep two conventional carriers active and four in reserve for crises. Other participants question the need for a second tier, favour greater reliance on allied carriers, or prefer a conventional design closer to an American supercarrier. The reply stresses that allied ships may be unavailable or assigned elsewhere. Size, automation, construction capacity, and the risk of overworking a supposedly cheaper ship remain unresolved constraints.