A 13,500-ton category separates light and fleet carrier missions

The proposed light-carrier category follows the treaty division between heavy and light cruisers. Halving the 27,000-ton carrier maximum produces a 13,500-ton individual limit and, in this model, a separate cumulative allowance. Britain and America could each fit ten maximum-sized ships into 135,000 tons, while Japan could fit six into 81,000 tons. France and Italy are initially assigned three ships in the discussion, before the calculation is revised: 60,000 tons would allow four at the ceiling or five at 12,000 tons. Smaller yards could build these ships, giving France a way to sustain a carrier in the Far East and Italy an option for Indian Ocean operations. Light carriers would supply presence and scouting while allowing fleet carriers to grow toward the full 27,000-ton limit. The programme could also provide shipbuilding employment in America. Infrastructure would still restrict French, Italian, and Japanese construction more severely than British or American construction.