Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:30:10-2:30:32

How a supersonic Harrier could enlarge the Invincible class

A supersonic Harrier would more likely produce a substantially larger Invincible-type carrier than revive CVA-01 directly.

Carrier DesignInvincible Class Aircraft CarriersLight Aircraft CarriersRoyal NavySea HarrierV/STOL Aircraft
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Question

Would a supersonic Harrier make a VTOL CVA-01-style carrier more likely?

Short answer

It would more likely make the Invincible class much larger, perhaps roughly 30,000 to 36,000 tons full load.

Notes

A supersonic Harrier would be larger and more demanding than the historical subsonic aircraft. Faster aircraft require more deck and recovery margin, while their fuel and maintenance needs expand hangar and support spaces. The Royal Navy would therefore have reason to enlarge the Invincible concept rather than abandon vertical aviation. A successor around 30,000 to 36,000 tons is plausible, much closer to a substantial light carrier than the historical through-deck cruiser.