Accelerating Unicorn and Royal Navy carrier support

HMS Unicorn's classification as a forward aviation support ship made her unusually attractive because she sat outside normal carrier-tonnage accounting and required relatively little armor, heavy weaponry, or machinery. The proposal accelerates Unicorn, adds a sister, and speeds the Illustrious-class program. Britain already possessed seven carriers in January 1939, but many were old and could not by themselves meet Mediterranean and Far Eastern support needs. The Fleet Air Arm was also moving from divided control into the Royal Navy, making aircraft supply, maintenance capacity, and forward support as important as the number of flight decks. Unicorn-type ships offered a relatively quick way to strengthen the aviation system alongside the combat-carrier force.