Courageous and Glorious gave Britain two strike carriers, but two hulls could not guarantee that one would always be ready for operations. Refits, repairs, and ordinary maintenance can remove a ship even when no combat loss occurs. Three carriers provided the practical threshold for dependable availability. Ark Royal added resilience to the force structure as well as a more capable individual flight deck. Fleet capability depends on rotation and readiness as much as the specifications of one ship.
Notable Point · 28:55-29:17
Why three carriers protect operational availability
Ark Royal joined Courageous and Glorious because a three-ship force could keep at least one strike carrier available through maintenance cycles.