The combined tonnage of the Queen Elizabeth class could not simply have been divided into three smaller carriers with the same result. Each additional hull needs its own machinery and ship systems, so cost does not scale directly with displacement. A larger flight deck and hangar can accommodate aircraft more effectively than the same total tonnage split across smaller hulls. Force-structure comparisons therefore need to examine usable aviation capacity and duplicated systems as well as tonnage.
Notable Point · 7:32-8:33
Why carrier tonnage alone cannot compare fleet options
Dividing total carrier tonnage among three hulls repeats machinery costs and can reduce combined aircraft capacity.