How much would upsized Invincible-class carriers change the Falklands War?
Short answerThey provide more Sea Harriers and resilience, while making earlier airborne-early-warning deployment more likely and operationally important.
NotesThe immediate gain is a larger Sea Harrier force, giving the task group more combat-air-patrol capacity and flexibility. Losing or damaging Hermes would remain serious, but Invincible could offload Sea Kings to other ships and continue as a dedicated fighter carrier. A design understood primarily as an aircraft carrier rather than an anti-submarine command ship would also strengthen the case for funding airborne early warning before the war. More fighters combined with AEW could change interception over San Carlos and reduce the freedom of Argentine transport and strike aircraft.