STOVL decks and allied carrier interoperability

Does the lack of catapults make British carriers less useful to allies such as France?

It limits French and American compatibility, but STOVL decks work with the carrier aviation used by several other allied navies.

Building British carriers without catapults limits interoperability with American and French conventional carrier aircraft. France is essentially the only ally beyond the United States operating that catapult model, while Spanish, Italian, and other allied aviation ships use short-takeoff aircraft. Britain therefore trades deep compatibility with two catapult navies for broader compatibility across the STOVL carrier community. The choice reflects which allied decks and aircraft are most likely to work together.