Even a Mach 1.3 or 1.4 successor would have offered a major air-defense improvement over the operational Harrier, especially with the larger radar and missile load then proposed. The counterfactual Invincible carries 24 fighters plus 24 helicopters divided among airborne early warning, commando lift, and anti-submarine warfare. That combination would link interception range, warning time, troop movement, and submarine protection inside one carrier air group. The result is presented as a plausible new baseline for the Falklands War rather than the equivalent of a much larger conventional carrier.
Notable Point · 20:31-23:02
How a supersonic Harrier might have changed the Falklands baseline
A larger counterfactual Invincible air group combines supersonic fighters, AEW Sea Kings, commando helicopters, and ASW helicopters.